psalm 148 and the Eucharist

[Hoankan]

Since St. Basil's is still needing its first thread, I thought I'd bring up a subject that has interested me.

I don't know about any other churches, but my church in Nagoya while the Eucharist is finished being prepared and any let comers go through confession, they do a singing of Psalm 148. If there are no children, I might be asked to sing it in English. Usually the process is reading a verse by the singer, then the rest of the congregation sings 'Praise the Lord from the heavens.'

I can understand choosing 148 given the praise just before the Eucharist. I also marvel at how beautiful its simplicity sounds in Japanese, even when I add my horrible English singing in. I was wondering if other churches did things differently and if so how and why?

 

[Silentchapel]

It is similar in the chapel I attend - the chanter(s) read a Psalm (it seems to change every Liturgy, but is always eucharistic), with different responses between the verses: "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord...", "Bless the Lord for He is good..." etc. Personally, while I find "Body of Christ" prayer beautiful, I prefer the Psalms.

 

[ikonographics]

"Praise the Lord from the heavens" is the standard Sunday "Koinonikon" or Communion hymn. The koinonikon is usually a psalm verse and for the feasts verses related to the feast are used. For feasts of:
the Mother of God:"I will receive the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord" (Psalm 116)
For feasts of the Cross (14 Sept and 3rd Sunday of Lent) : "The light of Thy Countenance has shone on us O Lord". (Psalm 4)
For the Nativity of Christ: "The Lord has sent redemption to His people" (Psalm 111)
Annunciation: "The Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired her for his habitation" (Psalm 132)
Transfiguration: "We will walk in the light of Thy countenance, and we will exalt Thy name forever" (Psalm 89)

The two exceptions were NT verses are used are
Wednesday of the Mid-feast of Pentecost: "He who eats my flesh and blood abides in me and I in him" (John 6:56) and
Theophany: "The Grace of God has appeared for the salvation of men" (Titus 1:11)

There are also koinonika that are non Biblical compositions such as the Paschal "Receive the Body of Christ, taste the fountain of immortality." and Holy Thursday's "Of Thy Mystical Supper, O Son of God."

The proper practice is for the koinonikon to be repeated until the end of communion, but nowadays choirs/chanters start singing all manner of liturgical and non-liturgical hymns in its place.