Introduction
According to tradition, the Trisagion or Thrice-Holy Hymn was revealed by angels one September 24th during the tenure of Patriarch Proclus of Constantinople (434-446). Some thirty years later Peter, the abrasive Patriarch of Antioch and a former fuller by trade, took it upon himself to add an extra line. Three centuries after that John Damascene was still upset about it.
NOW, those who have compiled the history of the Church say that in the time of Archbishop Proclus [434-446], the people of Constantinople were singing a litany to avert a grave threat brought by heaven,* when a child was taken up out of the crowd and under some kind of angelic training* was taught the Thrice-Holy Hymn: ‘Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us.’
When the child came back again and communicated what he had learnt, the whole crowd sang the hymn and the threat was averted. And it has been handed down to us that the Thrice-Holy Hymn was also sung in this manner at the holy and great Fourth Ecumenical Council — that which was held in Chalcedon, I mean — for so it is reported in the acts of this same holy council.*
* The threat was an earthquake. We are told that it took place on September 24th but we are not told the year. We do know that it happened during the tenure of Patriarch Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople from 434 to 446.
* The child was not simply taught the words, we gather, but a chant to go with them. Sadly, much of the church music of the Imperial church was handed on from master to pupil without being written down, and was lost when the Roman Empire fell to the Turks in 1453.
* The Council of Chalcedon near Constantinople was held in 451, and affirmed that Christ is both human and divine, so that the Virgin Mary may properly be called the Birthgiver of God (in Greek, theotókos). The Council’s Acts record that after the Patriarch of Alexandria, Dioscorus, was deposed by the other bishops, “the most devout Oriental bishops and those with them said: ‘Many years to the senate! Holy God, Holy Almighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us’.” It is our earliest record of the hymn. The majority believed that Dioscorus and those who shared his opinion were failing to do justice to the reality of Christ’s humanity as attested by Scripture.
Précis
In 451, the bishops assembled for the Council of Chalcedon sang a hymn, ‘Holy God, holy strong, holy immortal, have mercy upon us’. Tradition adds, St John Damascene tells us, that one September a few years before, angels had taught the hymn to a little child during an earthquake in Constantinople, and when everyone sang it the earthquake stopped. (59 / 60 words)
In 451, the bishops assembled for the Council of Chalcedon sang a hymn, ‘Holy God, holy strong, holy immortal, have mercy upon us’. Tradition adds, St John Damascene tells us, that one September a few years before, angels had taught the hymn to a little child during an earthquake in Constantinople, and when everyone sang it the earthquake stopped.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: besides, despite, just, not, ought, unless, whether, who.
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