Fr. Robert Matheus: TAKSA D-HUSAYA1. IntroductionThe Cross is the instrument of Christ' s glorification and of our justification and sanctification. It is thereforepresent in every rite by which man is put in relation with Christ's redeeming work, also in the sacramentalrite of husaya. The pity in some Eastern churches is that they have loosed their original practices which havegrown and developed during long centuries in their particular way of worship, spirituality, theology, andlaws. The absence of these original rites from their liturgical books and practice deprives the particularChurch, and even the universal Church from a part of her richness.For this reason I thought it would be good to give some idea of how the reconciliation was and still is celeb-rated in the East Syrian tradition. Only what is known can be loved. I hope that this study will contribute tothe quick restoration of this rite.For the liturgical texts I have made use of Mar Jacques Isaac's Taksa d-Hussaya (who gives the texts in Syr-iac and French), and Mar Aprem's (George Mooken) The Liturgy of the Holy Apostles Adai and Mari.Other translations are available in Badger, Vosté's Pontificale, and Denzinger.2. Structure1. Our Father2. Prayer before the suraya3. suraya: Pss. 25, 122 and 1294. Prayer before the Onyata5. Onyata6. Prayer before the Qanona7. Qanona: Ps. 51 + 2 refrains8. Tesbohta9. Signing10. Trisagion11. Gospel-reading12. Karozuta13. Two Sacerdotal prayers14. Prayer of the imposition of hands with signingThe structure of the rite of reconciliation resembles to the rites of the other sacraments (marriage, baptism1and ordinations) and of the Divine Office (night office, Lelya; vigil, Sapra; and morning office, Sapra). Theyhave in common the introductory part: 1° a sacerdotal prayer with the suraya (psalm), 2° a sacerdotal prayerwith onyata (responsorial hymn), 3° a sacerdotal prayer with qanona (refrain). We find other common ele-ments with certain of these rites in the Tesbohta (hymn ...