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Re Presanctified: I'll just add my two cents that at our parish we do things according to the Book promulgated by Bp Andrew in Passaic and it works well here. Many RC's visit our Church, and they learned the Order of the Presanctified quickly. When I first converted, I learned it quick too according to that book. I think it's laid out well. My only complaint is that it seems to have the stichera melodies "dummed down."

In Christ,

anastasios

Glory to Jesus Christ!

What I don't understand is Why does there need to be Liturgical reform----all I have ever seen occur from Liturgical reform is schism, anger, and at times even hatred> this can be sen in the Orthodox Church with the problems that arose with the Russian Reforms during Peter the great's Reign (i.e. the Old believers schism), under the calendar reform of the 1920 (Old calendarist movements & schismatic churches), the suppression of the Historical Western Rites, and of course the reforms of Vatican II (multiple schisms in the Roman catholic Church).

What good does it do but give theologians something to show off their knowledge and put forward their specific agendas. It seems that it is the laity who is truely hurt by this issue of Reform.

Your brother in Christ,
Thomas

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Thomas:

In the Eastern Churches which are in communion with the See of Rome, there are many things which have been liturgically "lost" to us through the years of the Union.

In particular, for Byzantine Catholics in the United States: many parishes live a bare-bones liturgical life with no Vespers, no Matins. In the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts needed to be MANDATED five years ago, so that our faithful could have access to this most important service during the period of the Great Fast. There are many, many more things that could be pointed out, but these suffice.

The restoration of these services is essential to our ecclesial nature. Nonetheless, we have both clergy and laity who do not want this to happen.

You see what we are up against?

(Prof.) J. Michael Thompson
Byzantine Catholic Seminary
Metropolitan Cantor Institute

Just a few words of explanation on the Presanctified text.
1) The Ruthenian edition does not have the Prayer of St. Ephrem, so we originally thoght to add it at the beginning. It was not put there because of the Ninth Hour. However, the thought now is to put it after the "Let my prayer ascend like incense ... " It is not in the Ruthenian text at that point, but we felt the people should hear it during the Great Fast.
2) I agree that Msgr. Levkulic did a great service for our Church in making the edition of the Presanctified Liturgy. I think, though, that the Parma-Passaic books go back more to the original. Msgr. Levkulic did move things around a bit. In justice to him, he called the kathismata 'antiphons" because the Slavonic liturgical books call them "antiphons." The ideal would be to read them in their entirety - 1) Pss 119-123 (Septuagint numbering); 2) Pss 124-128; 3) Pss 129-133. However, this might be too heavy for parochial use. That is why Parma (then followed by Passaic) chose to chant one kathisma in its entirety. I do not understand your argument that this makes it an entirely different Presanctified, since the stichera and readings change for each day also.
3) Prokeimenon 2 should be before the Blessing with the candle, and only the reading from Proverbs after. This is the original (Greek and Slavonic).
4) the people kneel to hear the verses of "Let my prayer ... ' and stand to sing. That is the correct reason. However, your point may be discussed.