Kyrie

Kyrie eleison (Greek κύριε ἐλέησον " Lord, have mercy !") Is the beginning of a short, usually tripartite litany sung on various occasions in the Christian liturgy. Best known is the Kyrie eleison as part of the opening of Christian worship. Also litanies as the Litany of the Saints or the Litany of Loreto start with the Kyrie reputation.

The term is composed of the vocative of the Greek κύριος, "Lord" (in modern Greek spoken Kirie ) and the imperative of ἐλέησον ἐλεέω have mercy.

Even the name Kyrieleis goes back to the call.

Origin and theological significance

The call comes from the liturgy of the Greek-speaking Eastern Church - there throw the church in the great litanies ( intercessions ) - and has been adopted by 500 untranslated in the Roman and then in other Western liturgies.

" Kyrie eleison " was in pre-Christian times a common Huldigungsruf for gods and rulers. In late antiquity the imperial court ceremonial was greeted with this reputation when he entered the room. The Jews of the Greek-speaking diaspora had taken the Kyrios title on the God of Israel ( as a translation for Adonai, "Lord ", compare YHWH ). Kyrios was in early Christianity to the central territorial designation of Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 2 EU, Rom 20.9 EU). In the public acclamation and the confession of the Kyrie at the beginning of the celebration of the Eucharist the Christians broke away from the stresses imperial cult and the cult of other gods.

The alternative form Christe eleison ( Χριστὲ ἐλέησον Christ, have mercy! ) Was born in Rome. It developed a up to nine times the litany of the Kyrie, which for centuries was also interpreted as a Trinitarian invocation of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (cf. Kyrie songs of the Reformation ).

Kyrie eleison in worship

Holy Mass and Protestant worship

The Kyrie eleison is expected to be the constant parts of the Mass ( Ordinary Mass ). In the opening part of the Holy Mass or the Protestant worship, the Kyrie follow the general admission of guilt or be connected to it. From Huldigungsruf a Erbarmensruf in this case. It is possible to speak Greek or German. The German version is:

" Lord, have mercy (our )! Christ, have mercy (our )! Lord, have mercy (our )! "

In many cases, it is also sung, possibly alternating between choir or cantor and congregation. Depending on the occasion and worship time in the church year short text insets ( tropics) can be used. These invocations are not prayers, but to praise. Jesus Christ is praised for his saving acts. Same time, the Kyrie a prayer addressed to God's mercy dar.

After the Kyrie follows on Sundays outside of Advent and Lent, as well as in festivals, Gloria (Latin for " Glory to God ").

Examples of text insets

There are numerous variations of the Kyrie, which are used depending on the occasion and the church year, so for example:

• Lord Jesus, you word of life! Kyrie eleison!
• Lord Jesus, you light of men! Christe eleison!
• Lord Jesus, you are our way to the Father! Kyrie eleison!

Or

• Lord Jesus, Son of the living God: Kyrie eleison!
• You mediator of the New Covenant: Kyrie eleison!
• Lord Christ, you carried the cross for us and suffering. Christe eleison!
• You are for us risen from the dead. Christe eleison!
• Lord Jesus, you master of your church: Kyrie eleison!
• You hope of all the earth: Kyrie eleison!

Orthodoxy

In the liturgy of the Orthodox Churches there are multi-part Kyrie litanies at several points in part. Is eleison With a twelve -fold Kyrie each Hore Byzantine Tagzeitenliturgie opened, the Little Hours conclude with a forty -fold Kyrie eleison. In the Divine Liturgy, the triple Kyrie Eleison appears as a response to the individual invocations of Ektenieen. However, the Christe eleison is a western extension and in the Byzantine liturgy not in use.

Kyrie eleison and the Our Father prayer as final

In the medieval liturgy, the three - or nine-fold Kyrie / Christe eleison occurred several times, as a prayer circuit to a psalm in the following structure:

• Psalm
• Kyrie eleison ( 3-9 x)
• Lord's prayer
• Verse (for example: V: Lord, hear my prayer R: And let my cry come to you! )
• Final Oration.

Such prayer sequences, there were, for example, in the preparation of the priest at the celebration of Mass and when creating the vestments, the levels of prayer between the Psalm 42 Iudica me, (, Give me, O God ) and the Confiteor, and the exodus of the priest from the church. However, this was not entirely so, but in phases and regional differences. At the latest with the liturgical reform of Vatican II are those forms omitted.

In the liturgy of the hours the same sequence of prayers is also since the 8th century ( Amalarius ) testified that the Kyrie eleison before the prayers stand to God for being heard of prayer to reconcile (IV, 2), and Amalarius testifies (III, 6) that in omnibus peractis officiis Kyrie eleison sequitur ante orationem dominicam, ut est in matutinis et vespertinali synaxi ( that after each execution of the Divine eleison Kyrie follows the Lord's prayer, as it happens in the Matins and Vespers ). Later this was limited to weekdays ( preces Feriales ), then on the weekdays of Advent and Lent, since 1955 only for Wednesday and Friday during Advent and Lent. With the reorganization of the Divine after the Second Vatican Council, the prayer sequence is again provided for Lauds and Vespers every day: after the Benedictus and Magnificat follow the prayers, then the Kyrie eleison (or other transfer ), the Our ​​Father and the Oration.

Also, some Lutheran prayer orders for the morning and evening prayers are similar in shape: Kyrie eleison three times, Pater noster, Pleading, Oration.

Kyrie eleison in music

In Mass settings of all eras, the Kyrie is usually the first sentence. In German hymns of the Kyrie reputation is often modified before, eg as Kyrieleis in iron such as:

• Jesus Christ is risen
• Blessed are You, Jesus Christ
• Maria went through a thorn forest
• Now we ask the Holy Spirit