Arthur John Maclean & William Henry Brown: The catholicos of the East and his peopleLondon, SPCK, 1892[209] THE EASTERN SYRIAN CLERGYThe Syrian deacon also... gives the "peace" from. the priest to the people; he may also make the holy loavesfor consecration and for the antidoron, and may mix the chalice ("Heavenly Intelligences," s.v. "Deacons"),though these things are properly done by the priest; he prepares the sanctuary, and adorns the altar... pourswater on the priest's hands at the lavabo... The author of the "Heavenly Intelligences" says that subdeaconsmay also read the litanies.[244] HOLY COMMUNIONThere is a rule that the evening, night, and morning services must have preceded; no priest or deacon is totake any part in the service unless he has also assisted at these three services (Cautelae Missae, in the Takhsa.N° 27). But in practice, that there may not be a long break between the end of the morning service and thebeginning of the Liturgy, the celebrant and one deacon are baking the bread and preparing the chalice whilethe rest are saying the morning prayer.[247] The Eastern Syrians are especially careful in preparing the elements for the Holy Communion. Theyemphasize the continuity of the eucharist by the unity of the bread used; each time it is baked it is leavenednot only with some dough from the last baking, as is the case with all bread, but also with a small portion ofthe holy leaven which is handed on from age to age in each church. There is a curious legend connected withthe leaven, which is believed to have been handed down from the founders of the church, Mar Adai and MarMari. The following is abridged from the Iskuliun (Scholium) or Commentary of Priest Isaak of Ishbad1, arare manuscript now in our possession: [247f]At our Lord's baptism St. John caught the water that fell from his body in a vessel, and before his death gaveit to his disciple, John the son of Zebedee, to keep till it should be required. At the last supper our Saviourgave one loa...