Liturgical Tradition
The liturgy of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church serves as the central point for the whole service conducted by priests and deacons. It is written in the form of a litany. Portions of passages of prayers, chants, and hymns which are said by priests and deacons differ from those said by the faithful. As the liturgy is sometimes referred to as the “Drama of Salvation”, it is acted out like a drama, telling the life and teachings of Christ, relating the sufferings of the Saints and Martyrs of the Church, and using many symbols such as the Cross with its signs, the Censer, the Bell, the Chalice, the Container for the holy water, the washing of hands by the Chief Priest, the bows, and the whole elaborate vestment of the priesthood.
In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, at least two priests and three deacons are required to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. No Divine Liturgy can be performed after taking meals. Hence, the Holy Eucharist always takes place before any meal.
According to the teachings and practices of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the liturgy consists of two main parts, some of which are sung while other portions are read aloud by the priests.
The first part of the Divine Liturgy is known as the Synaxis and includes the reading of the Epistles and Gospel, while the second part is called the Anaphora or Canon. This is the sacramental part of the Divine Liturgy which consists of fourteen Anaphoras: of these, the standard one in most common use is the Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles.
The first part of the Divine Liturgy is known as the Synaxis and includes the reading of the Epistles and Gospel, while the second part is called the Anaphora or Canon. This is the sacramental part of the Divine Liturgy which consists of fourteen Anaphoras: of these, the standard one in most common use is the Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles.
These Anaphoras may be listed as follows:-
1. The Anaphora of Our Lady Mary
2. The Anaphora of the Apostles
3. The Anaphora of Our Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Anaphora of St. John The Evangelist
5. The Anaphora of St. Basil
6. The Anaphora of St. Athanasius
7. The Anaphora of The Three Hundred and Eight Fathers
8. The Anaphora of St. Gregory the Armenian
9. The Anaphora of St. Epiphanius
10. The Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom
11. The Anaphora of St. Cyril
12. The Anaphora of St. James of Serug
13. The Anaphora of St. Dioscorus
14. The Anaphora of St. Gregory of Alexandria.
The exact origin of most of the Ethiopic Anaphoras has not been discovered. They first appear in Manuscripts of the 15th century but were doubtless composed very much earlier. Scholars at one time assumed that all or most of these Anaphoras were translated from foreign liturgies, but recent studies, such as that of Ernst Hammerschmidt, have demonstrated that many of the Anaphoras are genuine creations of Ethiopic literature evincing theological thought and liturgical poetry of a high order.