Peculiarities of Holy Qurbana

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1. A worship in complete form.
The five essential parts of worship namely praise, thanksgiving, repentance, supplication and dedication are fully assimilated in the Holy Qurbana.
2. All the events of the incarnation are remembered in order.
All the events of the Lord from birth, baptism, public preaching, crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension etc. are visualized as in a drama evoking our imagination magnificently.
3. It depicts the return of the prodigal (lost) son.
Luke 15:11-32. The priest wearing black robe and chanting psalm 51, entering the Holy sanctuary (Madbaha) for thooyobo (the preparation ceremony in secret) can be considered as the return of prodigal son. The kissing of the corners of altar is considered as the embrace of the prodigal son with his father. The wearing of the priestly dress after washing hands by the priest is considered as equal to the prodigal son bathed and dressed up with best robes. So forth the feast with the fattened calf is the Holy Qurbana.
4. It embodies the vision of Isaiah.
Isaiah: 6:1-8. Isaiah saw a vision in sorrow when he saw the glory of God and the unclean conditions of man. This signifies the Holy Qurbana. Truly this vision gave the inspiration to the ancient fathers to give shape to the Holy Qurbana. “ I saw the Lord seated on the throne, high and exalted (the altar). Around stood the seraphs. They made to touch the mouth with the live coal from the altar of sacrifice to take away guilt. In the end asks who will go for us”. In the Qurbana we all hear this and see this. The church teaches us to hear the voice of God in the Qurbana calling us for the work of God.
5. Heavenly Worship.
The Holy Sanctuary (Madbaha) is the replica of the heaven Eph: 2:6. The priest represents the Lord. Like wise the sectons or deacons represent the angels, candles represent the saints. Another aspect of the heavenly worship is the fragrance of incense. Rev: 8:3,4.” Another angel who had golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand”. Tradition says that the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, usually prayed at the tomb of our Lord with fragrance of incense. Thereupon the custom of incense came to the church. Really it was the work of Holy Spirit. Another feature of heavenly worship is the use of “Halleluyya” the song of praise of the angels of heaven. In the Holy Qurbana there are four occasions, which depicts the opening of the heaven. Because of all these the Holy Qurbana is considered as a heavenly worship.
6. The priest acts as representative of God and people.
In the Holy Qurbana the chief celebrant is Jesus Christ. He himself is offering the sacrifice. (1Cor:15:22, Eph 4:15, 5:23) Most of the prayers are addressed to the Father. The reason is that the Lord the Son is celebrating the sacrifice. The priest acts in five different ways. (1) As the representative of God, he gives benediction and remission of sins. (2) Prays for the people. (3) Representing the people prays by saying ‘We’. In the New Testament the sons of the church are royal priesthood. All are given priesthood revoking the Levi tribe tradition. The curtain of the temple was torn into two from top to bottom (Mathew 27:51) was a sign of this. Even in the Levi tribe all do not serve in the Holy of Holy places as high priests. Likewise all people do not do holy services. Only those who are called from them. (4) As leader of the people he starts all prayers. (5) Also prays as an individual. The saying of the priest “Always for me” is a sign.
7. Active participation to the people.
The celebrant prays aloud when he celebrates. By hearing that, people are not expected to stand with crossed hands like pillars, but also are expected to respond to the priest in high sound. Like David (Ps. 150:3-5), we have to praise with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with tambourine (drum) and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. It is not always proper to stand in silence. We should be silent for devotion only when the priest is saying the prayers. Though we can say the prayers and sing songs by heart, the church insists to say and sing by looking into book. It is because the mind will get concentration, when we sing songs and say prayers loudly. The mind will be filled with heavenly happiness. Thus we participate fully with the priest in the service.
8. The living, the dead, the heavenly beings assembled together.
The Holy Qurbana is a solemn and awful scene where the earth and heaven are made to join. When the living worship, the departed unseen souls and the angels of heaven partake with them. Though we cannot see or hear their roaring sounds of praise of God, it is but blessed experience to believe it. Then we will understand the saying (Ps 133:1) “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity”
9. A worship to attend with good preparation.
We ought to attend Holy Qurbana, which is full of solemn and awful divine mysteries, only with good preparation. (1) We have to make peace with brothers. (Mathew 5: 23-24) “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift”. (2) We should have repentance (Rom: 8:26) in the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express”. (3) There should be purity. (1 Sam :21:4) “ But the priest answered David, “ I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand, however, there is some consecrated bread here – provided the men have kept themselves from women”. (4) Should fast. (1. Sam: 9:13) “As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice, afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time”. (5) To eat the holy body only with due preparation. If one eats in an unworthy manner, he will have judgement. 1.Cor:11:29 “For any one who eats and drinks with out recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgement on himself”.

Thus the Holy Qurbana is a worship of specialities, only to attend with due preparation.

10.Symbolic yet contemplative.
The Holy Qurbana is symbolic all throughout. Every symbol (outward action) gives us food for thought. Through the visible way we get invisible grace of God. When we say that he blessed the children by placing his hands over the head, the placing of hands is a visible action, a symbol. But the grace obtained is invisible. Like wise in Holy Qurbana there are visible actions which have invisible results. All the actions give us occasion for devotion.
11.Individulity develops.
All the different parts of the individuality, the body, the mind and the heart in one way or other awaken and made to action. The five senses become active by standing, sitting, and making the sign of the cross, singing, smelling and tasting. We get deep spiritual experiences by the great involvement of all the different aspects of the individuality made in full action in the great and magnificent venture of prayer. Along with this, individuality also develops.