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Mar 25th, 2025
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Hi everyone,
I went to a Melkite liturgy yesterday, and I noticed that they do the exchange of peace. Have they always done this?
Also, have laymen or women always been allowed to read the epistle in the Byzantine liturgies?
If these are new disciplines, when were they changed?
Thanks!
Usque
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Preferably, of course, the epistle should be read by an ordained Lector. In the absence of one, a layman can read it. After the Church stopped ordaining deaconesses, the function of women reading the epistle was largely confined to monasteries, but has expanded again.
Incognitus
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Dear Friend, Well, I've always read the epistle as an altar-server! My pronunciation was top-notch!  The kiss of peace is an interesting issue, and perhaps more can be said on this topic by those really in the know. The kiss of peace is an integral part of the Byzantine Pontifical liturgies when priests and bishops are concelebrating together. They go up to the senior celebrant and kiss him on the shoulders three times in honour of the Holy Trinity. In fact, this was once done by the entire church, men with men on one side, and women with women on the other. Nikolai Hohol (Gogol) in his commentary on the Divine Liturgy refers to the ancient practice among the laity, how it died out, BUT, he writes, that at that moment, everyone should make an interior act of love to everyone else in the Church. The Orthodox Church of Finland has restored the tradition for the laity with respect to the kiss of peace (I believe it was an experimental thing). Some Ukrainian Catholic paries have adopted it as well (i.e. St Demetrius Parish in Toronto). I've been to liturgies there and find it actually very beautiful. The Armenians, the Assyrians and some others still maintain the kiss of peace from ancient times. When the Roman Liturgy adopted it in recent years, it was actually adopting an Eastern tradition. Alex
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Alex, don't forget the Copts!  At the Antiochian Orthodox parish I attend during semesters, we exchange the Kiss of Peace. After saying, "Let us love one another...", the priest says the greeting "Christ is in our midst!" and the whole congregation replies "He is and ever shall be!" The congregation then exchanges the "Kiss" (OK, it's usually a "holy handshake," so shoot us :p  ). I don't know how prevalent it is among Antiochians, though. Also, I just watched a video from a church consecration and Liturgy from a village in the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Munkacevo, and you could see some of the faithful greeting eachother at the time of the Kiss of Peace. Dave
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We in the Syriac Tradition pass the Kiss of Peace from the celebrant, to the deacon, to the congregation by placing our hands together and extending it to each other.
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In the Melkite tradition the Kiss of Peace is being restored after it was lost due to Latinization. The Kiss of Peace is exchanged by order: thus bishop with bishop, priest with priest, deacon with deacon, laity with laity. The sole exception to this is that priests will initiate the Kiss of Peace with the bishop if there is only one bishop present.
In the Maronite tradition this seems to flow from bishop to priest to deacon to subdeacon to reader to the people...
Fr. Deacon Edward
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Thanks for the wonderful responses everyone!
I find it all so interesting.
Michael-Thomas- I am actually going to a Syrian Liturgy this Saturday!
Yes, if you are wondering I am "touring" the East. It is quite a joy, I must say.
I hear that Saint Ann's Melkite Church in New Jersey is very famous?? The iconography REALLY is top notch, enough to make one drool-Outside there are mosaics that are exquisite, and inside! You really do have to visit if you are ever in New Jersey...but they have this ugly stained glass that detracts from the artwork IMHO, and the blue carpeting and the portable chairs were annoying me...but really, overall, it was heavenly
Usque
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Haven't been to Saint Ann's for a couple of decades - I was there then for a Melkite Convention. And yes, the iconography is beautiful. It was so long ago that I've had to replace my paper bag in the interim. I don't remember either the stained glass or the carpeting.
Incognitus
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Dear Mortem,
If you live in Jersey, I invite you to visit both:
St. Thomas Malankara Catholic Mission
c/o St. Elizabeth Church
179 Hussa Street
Linden, NJ 07036
Time of worship:
10:30 AM Morning Prayer and
Holy Qurbono
English Service:
Fourth Sunday
--- and ---
St. Sharbel Maronite Church
7 Reeve St.
Somerset, NJ 08873
Rev. Maroun P. Asmar
908 828-2055
FAX: 908 828-5488
Liturgical Schedule:
Daily Liturgy at 12:00 noon
Sunday at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM
Holy Days of Obligation at 7:00 PM
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