The KUSAPE: The Private Priestly Prayers in the East Syrian Anaphoras

Abstract

Bryan D. Spinks rightly observed on the Kusape or silent priestly prayers in the East Syrian liturgy that, the silent priestly prayers received very little attention from the scholars since they form the so called “Third Stratum” in the completion of the shape of the liturgy. Apart from an introductory study of Mar Aprem, the observations of WE Macomber, Robert Taft, P. Yousif and finally, a well comprehensive study of Bryan Spinks, hardly any further studies have been made on East Syrian Kusape. However, in the East Syrian Eucharistic liturgy these prayers play a vital role in the progression of the course of the celebration. This short study attempts to explore the origin, scope and the relevance of Kusape in the East Syrian liturgy.