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Diatessoron
#1
Dear brothers and sisters in Yashua,Berek Alaha! I am curious if there are any other members who have a love for the beautiful Diatessoron of Tatian as I do. I find it to be a work of great genius and piety shown by Tatian's great respect and fidelity of the 4 canonical gospels and his remarkable achievment of compiling them into one narrative without sacrificing any of the contents of any of the gospels except not repeating the same thing twice and the geneologies. His work was actually used not only liturgically up untill Theodore replaced it in the churches of Syria in the 5th century but also by the laity. It is known to date to at least 150 ad and is a remarkable testament to the existance of the Peshitta prior as he obviously used the Peshitta for his work and compiling the Diatessoron. I think J. Hamilyn Hill's translation from the Arabic copy found is the best. It is very interesting how the Diatessoron ended up supersceding the 4 distinct Peshitta Gospels until Theodoret officially replaced it with the separate Peshitta Gospels and New Testament in the 5th century. The subtle influence it came to have in the west is very intriguing as it influenced other Gospel compilations which in turn made there way into common folk songs and such which helped spread the Holy Gospel of our Lord more and more in western Europe. I myself find it quite suitable for private devotional study and prayer and try to make a point to read it at least once a year. I read and study through all 4 gospels every week from the various published good Peshitta translations as well as my daily reading and study of the rest of the New Testament and Old Testament from the Peshitta. This may seem a bit much but I also pray the offices of the hours according to the ancient Syrian Orthodox church and other prayer as I am trying to prepare myself for the monastic life. I humbly ask for everyones prayer for this. In Yashua, D.Michael.
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#2
I tend not to be a fan of the diatessaron.
I think each gospel stands on its own as apiece of "art" Something that can move one in a special way if one reads the sory from start to finish.
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#3
Dear beloved Rafa in our Mari Yashua,Berek Alaha! Thank you for your loving reply and sending me the link to the beautiful prayers from the book of daily prayer of the Assyrian Church of the East.The prayers are so beautiful they bring tears of joy to one's eyes.I will try to locate a site where I can order and purchase the complete book. The only English translation of the book of the offices of daily prayer of the AOCE that I had been able to find before learning of the one you were so kind to point out to me and refer me to is an old translation through Gorgius press entiled East Syrian Daily Offices trans by Arthur Maclean.
It is not user friendly at all and very hard to follow as it only mentions say the number of the particular psalm for that hour and service therefore needing the book of psalms also where it should be in the text itself. It is also set up for communial liturgical use with certain prayers prayed by the priest,deacon,ect.I'm an ordained Deacon in the Oriental Orthodox church via the Coptic church but have been going to the local Armenian Orthodox church as there isnt a Church of the East parish here in Minneapolis or a Syrian Orthodox church.If there was a parish of the Church of the East here in Minneapolis that is where I would be going as I have such a deep spiritual connection with the Church of the East.I also am preparing to enter the monastic life and pray to do in the Church of the East which I understand some plans may be being layed down for one to be built here in the USA in the next couple of years.The Armenian church is the closest to the Syrian,either Church of the East or Syrian Orthodox here in Minneapolis besides the local Antiochian Maronite Catholic church who also still use Aramaic in the Quadish Quorbana,but they only use it sparingly like in the entrance hymn,trisogion,words of institution,and epiclesis.Although Mar Dinkha and Pope John Paul 11 signed an agreement of agreed Christology,there are some other theological considerations concerning the Catholic church,even in the Eastern Rite Catholic churches like the Syrian Maronite,that are of some concern but nothing of a catyclysmic nature.I go to the Maronite church sometimes during the week just to recieve our Lord's precious body and life giving blood in the Eucharest as I believe the Catholic church still has valid Sacrements and priesthood.I wouldnt attend a Latin Rite Catholic church due to its exstensive westernisation,ideology,and hellenistic-latin form of spirituality and praxis.The ancient Eastern Apostolic churches such as the Oriental Orthodox churches(Syrian Orthodox,Syrian Malankara Orthodox,Armenian Orthodox,Coptic Orthodox,Ethiopian Orthodox,ect)have,together with the Church of the East,have by the grace of the Holy Spirit preserved the original ancient semitic Judao-Christian Orthodoxy,spirituality,mysticism and praxis of the original mother church of Jerusalem which shifted to the ancient daughter churches of Antioch,Eddessa,Abdiene,and Celucia Ctisphon.This is most clearly seen in the Syrian Orthodox and Assyrian Church of the East,but also in the other Oriental Orthodox churches also.Because of semantics and politics the Church of the East and the Oriental Orthodox churches are still not in formal, official union,they are and always have been since before the tragic council of Ephesus in which Mar Nestorius was so unjustly set up,treated,banished and falsely condemned.It was his true Orthodox Christology of our Lord's 2 natures,the perfectly Divine and the perfectly human being distinct yet perfectly united in the one prosopon-person of our Lord that prevailed at the council of Chalcedon in 451.This also became the formula of the imperial Byzantine Orthodox churches in the eastern Roman empire and also in Rome and the western Roman empire. The Oriental Orthodox churches also believed and believe of course the true Orthodox Christology of our Lord's 2 natures,the Divine and human being united in the one prosopon of our Lord,yet they prefer to emphasise the union of the 2 natures into one composite nature within both natures are united into one composite nature from te time of the inception.Both parties profess and believe in the same Orthodox Christology but with the differance being only a matter of semantics.Unfortunatly because of what occured at the council of chalcedon and the politics and semantics which caused the division,the Oriental and Eastern-Byzantine Orthodox churches are still not in official union.As our Lord states that they may be one!!! We are all one-being the true ancient Eastern Apostolic churches in the Spirit of truth. As I was saying though although the imperial Byzantine Eastern Orthodox churches have preserved much of the original semitic Judao-Christian praxis and Apostolic tradition of the original mother church of Jerusalem,it is the Church of the East,Syrian Orthodox,Syrian Malankara Orthodox,Chaldean Catholic and Maronite churches who have preserved this in the fullest sence.The Armenian is very close due to their proximity of the Church of the East and also the Coptic and Ethiopain churches also due to the tremendous influence of the ancient Syrian church upon their formation,development and praxis.Forgive my rambling beloved brother.Your humble friend and servant in Yashua,D.Michael.
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