The Supplication of the Ninevites
Categories: other-churches
Date: 02 February 2009 03:47:14
This commemoration is kept by the Chaldean, Assyrian and Syrian Orthodox churches. It is three days [Monday to Wednesday after the Fifth Sunday of Epiphany] of fasting, penance and prayer which commemorate the events of the Book of Jonah when he was sent by God to Nineveh to preach repentance.
A selection of the prayers can be read on this page at the website of the St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Diocese of the Chaldeans and Assyrians. Some Googling about the history and hymns of the commemoration led to this scanned book [thank you Google], The repentance of Nineveh, a metrical homily on the mission of Jonah translated and with notes and an introduction by The Revd Henry Burgess. I am sure I will spend a great deal of time reading [online sadly; US$195 is a bit more than I can afford!] through the hymns, particularly as they are by one of my favourite Christian poets, St Ephrem of Syria.
A blessed three days of the Supplication of the Ninevites to my Assyrian and Chaldean cousins.