As I shared in the last installment of this article, the Liturgy of the Faithful begins with an Intercessory Prayer. Like all prayers, the formula used was similar to that which people used to petition a favor from the emperor. The Greek Church saw God as the true emperor of the Kingdom and so addressed God in a fashion similar to that which was used in the Imperial Court. There is always a recognition of God’s true greatness and generosity before a request is made.

One of the characteristics of Byzantine worship is that is filled with the use of the word mercy. It is based on the biblical Hebrew word hesed which was translated in the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Bible) as eleos and in the Vulgate (the Latin version of the Bible) by the word misericordia. It has been rendered as mercy in most English editions. The translation mercy is unfortunate; but scholars are not agreed on the proper translation of hesed. They are agreed, however, that there is no single English word which is an adequate translation. They agree also that the divine and human attitude designated by hesed is basic in Hebrew religion and morality.

The meaning of hesed is seen most clearly by studying the words with which it is associated. Perfect consistency should not be sought, since there is a development of the term over the centuries of its usage; a basic meaning does appear, however, which is modified by not substantially changed. The most common word used with hesed is ‘emet which signifies solidity, steadfastness, loyalty; and thus hesed is associated with the quality which makes another person dependable and worthy of faith. When the two words are joined they signify dependable hesed. Hesed is something which one can “do” for another, either God or man; in each of these instances the person who does hesed is in a superior position. Hesed is   expected as a normal part of good human relations. When the Psalmist curses his enemy he wishes that no one will show him hesed because the enemy himself has not shown it. The wisdom literature praises hesed as the thing which wins hesed for oneself and assures success.

There is much more about this word hesed, which we translate as mercy, which I think is important to share. Why? Because it believe that it brings a different nuance to our worship since the word is used so frequently. I would, at this point, ask you to think about what the word means to you when we use it in the Divine Liturgy?