The Lord's Prayer Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. George

St. Catharines, Ontario
Easter Service April 2009

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[frdkehagias]

Don't forget that language is alive in order for it to change. It is not as if the church used the language just for the purpose of confounding the people. They used a language they understood buy has since evolved even though the liturgy remains unchanged. It is up to you to effect change for the better with the blessing of the hierarchs but not the content of the Liturgy to just update the language.

[frdkehagias]

It is dissappointing to read ignorance following ignorance. Cyril and Methodius did not flee but where missionaries to the Slavs. What is being called church Slavonic was the actually spoken language of the people at the time. It was Cyril who gave the Cyrillic Alphabet which enabled the scriptures and the Liturgy to be written in a language that people understood.

We seem to forget, that language is alive so it evolves with the people.

[SwordsmanOfFaith]

@pliny1 It does, why do you think the liturgy was in Hebrew instead of Aramaic back then? Saints Cyrill and Methodius didn't translate the liturgy into the vernacular, they translated it into Church Slavonic! It's Church Slavonic because it's the language of the church, not of the street.

When Cyrill and Methodius fled to Yugoslavia they didn't translate the liturgy into Yugoslavian but used Church Slavonic from Great Moravia.

[pliny1]

Prayer is reverent when it is heart-felt. Saying a prayer in a dead language doesn't make it more reverent. Thank God that SS. Cyril and Methodius made the liturgy accessible to the people of his time, rather than making them learn Greek! The people would be better served using their time to read the Gospel -- first in their native tongue, and then in Greek, if they have the time to learn it.

[SwordsmanOfFaith]

@pliny1 Ofcourse it is, but the Liturgy has to be celebrated in a dead language so it's more reverent and god-fearing.Complete nonsense, Slavs understand Church Slavonic. Why else would it be named Slavonic? And if they really don't understand, learn it!

Слава отцу и сыну и святому духу

Слава отцу и сину и святому духовi

Perfect example of how similar both can be.

You can speak all the languages of the world, but if you just understand it with your head and not with your heart, it's useless!

[pliny1]

@SwordsmanOfFaith: I thought the mission of the Church was to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Praying in Church Slavonic makes as much sense as speaking in Church Slavonic. It's a nice tradition, but its a barrier to genuine prayer because people don't understand the words that they are speaking and hearing.

[SwordsmanOfFaith]

Stop nationalism, celebrate in Church Slavonic.