The most important service is the Divine Liturgy. On it, a great Sacrament is performed - the change of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord and the Communion of the faithful. Liturgy in Greek means joint work. Believers gather in the temple in order to glorify God together with “one mouth and one heart” and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Thus, they follow the example of the holy apostles and the Lord Himself, who, having gathered for the Last Supper on the eve of the Savior’s betrayal and suffering on the Cross, drank from the Chalice and ate the Bread that He gave them, reverently listening to His words: “This is My Body…” and “This is my blood…”
Divine Liturgy
Christ commanded His apostles to perform this Sacrament, and the apostles taught this to their successors - bishops and presbyters, priests. The original name of this Sacrament of Thanksgiving is the Eucharist (Greek). The public worship at which the Eucharist is celebrated is called the liturgy (from the Greek litos - public and ergon - service, business). Liturgy is sometimes called mass, since it is usually supposed to be performed from dawn to noon, that is, in the pre-dinner time.
The order of the liturgy is as follows: first, the objects for the Sacrament (Offered Gifts) are prepared, then the faithful prepare for the Sacrament, and finally, the Sacrament itself and the Communion of the faithful are performed. Thus, the liturgy is divided into three parts, which are called:
- Proskomedia
- Liturgy of the catechumens
- Liturgy of the faithful.
Proskomedia
The Greek word proskomidia means offering. This is the name of the first part of the liturgy in memory of the custom of the first Christians to bring bread, wine and everything necessary for the service. Therefore, the bread itself, used to celebrate the liturgy, is called prosphora, that is, an offering.
The prosphora should be round, and it consists of two parts, as an image of two natures in Christ - Divine and human. Prosphora is baked from leavened wheat bread without any additions except salt.
A cross is imprinted on the upper part of the prosphora, and at its corners the initial letters of the name of the Savior: "IC XC" and the Greek word "NI KA", which together means: Jesus Christ wins. To perform the Sacrament, red grape wine is used, pure, without any additives. Wine is mixed with water in remembrance of the fact that blood and water poured out from the wound of the Savior on the Cross. For proskomedia, five prosphora are used in remembrance that Christ fed five thousand people with five loaves, but the prosphora that is prepared for Communion is one of these five, because there is one Christ, Savior and God. After the priest and deacon perform the entrance prayers in front of the closed Royal Doors and put on sacred clothes in the altar, they approach the altar. The priest takes the first (lamb) prosphora and makes a copy of the image of the cross on it three times, saying: “In remembrance of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” From this prosphora, the priest cuts out the middle in the shape of a cube. This cubic part of the prosphora is called the Lamb. She is placed on the diskos. Then the priest cross-cuts with bottom side Lamb and pierces his right side with a spear.
After that, wine mixed with water is poured into the bowl.
The second prosphora is called the Mother of God, a particle is taken out of it in honor of the Mother of God. The third is called the nine-fold, because nine particles are taken out of it in honor of John the Baptist, prophets, apostles, saints, martyrs, reverends, unmercenaries, Joachim and Anna - the parents of the Mother of God and the saints of the temple, daytime saints, and also in honor of the saint whose name the liturgy is performed.
From the fourth and fifth prosphora, particles are taken out for the living and the dead.
At the proskomedia, particles are also removed from the prosphora, which are served by believers for the repose and health of relatives and friends.
All these particles are laid out in a special order on the diskos next to the Lamb. Having finished all the preparations for the celebration of the Liturgy, the priest puts an asterisk on the diskos, covering it and the chalice with two small covers, and then all together covers it with a large cover, which is called air, and censes the Offered Gifts, asking the Lord to bless them, remember those who brought these Gifts and those for whom they were offered. During the proskomidia in the temple, the 3rd and 6th hours are read.
Liturgy of the catechumens
The second part of the liturgy is called the liturgy of the “catechumens”, because during its celebration not only the baptized, but also those preparing to receive this sacrament, that is, the “catechumens” can be present.
The deacon, having received a blessing from the priest, comes out of the altar to the pulpit and loudly proclaims: “Bless, Master,” that is, bless the assembled faithful to begin the service and participate in the liturgy.
The priest in his first exclamation glorifies the Holy Trinity: "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever." The chanters sing "Amen" and the deacon pronounces the Great Litany.
The choir sings antiphons, that is, psalms that are supposed to be sung alternately by the right and left choirs.
Blessed are you, Lord
Bless, O my soul, the Lord and all my inner being, His holy name. Bless, my soul, the Lord
And do not forget all His rewards: He who cleanses all your iniquities, He who heals all your diseases,
delivering your life from corruption, crowning you with mercy and bounty, fulfilling your desire in good things: your youth will be renewed like an eagle. Merciful and merciful, Lord. Long-suffering and merciful. Bless, O my soul, the Lord and all my inner name, His holy name. Blessed be the Lord
and "Praise, my soul, the Lord..."
Praise, my soul, the Lord. I will praise the Lord in my stomach; I will sing to my God while I am.
Do not rely on princes, on the sons of men, in them there is no salvation. His spirit will go out and return to his own land, and in that day all his thoughts will perish. Blessed is the God of Jacob his helper, his hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; who keeps the truth forever, who executes judgment on the offended, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord will decide the fettered; The Lord makes the blind wise; The Lord raises up the downtrodden; The Lord loves the righteous;
The Lord guards the aliens, he will accept the orphan and the widow, and the path of sinners will be destroyed.
At the end of the second antiphon, the song "Only Begotten Son ..." is sung. This song contains the entire teaching of the Church about Jesus Christ.
The only-begotten Son and the Word of God, He is immortal, and deigning our salvation for the sake of becoming incarnate
from the Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, immutably incarnated, crucified for us, Christ God, trampled down by death, the One of the Holy Trinity, glorified by the Father and the Holy Spirit,
save us.
In Russian, it sounds like this: “Save us, the Only-begotten Son and the Word of God, the Immortal, who deigned for our salvation to incarnate from the Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, who became a man and did not change, crucified and corrected death by death, Christ God, one of the Holy Persons Trinity, glorified together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.” After a small litany, the choir sings the third antiphon - the gospel "beatitudes". The Royal Doors open for the Small Entrance.
Remember us in Your Kingdom, O Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the mercies, for they will have mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed exile for the sake of righteousness, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are you, when they reproach you, and spit you out, and speak every evil word against you, lying for My sake.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven.
At the end of the singing, the priest with the deacon, who carries the gospel on the altar, goes to the pulpit. Having received a blessing from the priest, the deacon stops at the Royal Doors and, lifting up the Gospel, proclaims: “Wisdom, forgive,” that is, reminds the believers that they will soon hear the Gospel reading, therefore they must stand straight and with attention (forgive - means directly).
The entrance to the altar of the clergy with the Gospel is called the Small Entrance, in contrast to the Great Entrance, which takes place later at the liturgy of the faithful. The small entrance reminds believers of the first appearance at the preaching of Jesus Christ. The choir sings “Come, let us worship and fall down to Christ. Save us, Son of God, risen from the dead, singing to Ty: Alleluia. After that, the troparion (Sunday, holiday or saint) and other hymns are sung. Then the Trisagion is sung: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (thrice).
The Apostle and the Gospel are read. When reading the Gospel, believers stand with their heads bowed, listening with reverence to the holy gospel.
After the reading of the Gospel, the relatives and friends of those praying in the church of the faithful are commemorated of the dead by notes.
They are followed by the litany of the catechumens. The liturgy of the catechumens ends with the words “Announcement, come out.”
Liturgy of the Faithful
This is the name of the third part of the liturgy. It can be attended only by the faithful, that is, those who are baptized and who do not have prohibitions from a priest or bishop. At the Liturgy of the Faithful:
1) the Gifts are transferred from the altar to the throne;
2) believers prepare for the consecration of the Gifts;
3) the Gifts are consecrated;
4) believers prepare for Communion and take communion;
5) then thanksgiving is done for Communion and dismissal.
After the pronunciation of two short litanies, the Cherubic Hymn is sung “Although the cherubim secretly form and sing the Trisagion Hymn to the Life-Giving Trinity, now let us lay aside all worldly care. As if we would raise the King of all, angelic invisibly gifted chinmi. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia". In Russian, it reads as follows: “We, mysteriously depicting the Cherubim and singing the thrice-sacred song to the Trinity that gives life, will now leave the care of everything worldly in order to glorify the King of all, Whom the invisibly angelic ranks solemnly glorify. Alleluia."
Before the Cherubic Hymn, the Royal Doors open and the deacon performs incense. The priest at this time secretly prays that the Lord would cleanse his soul and heart and deign to perform the Sacrament. Then the priest, raising his hands, in an undertone utters the first part of the Cherubic Hymn three times, and the deacon also finishes it in an undertone. Both of them go to the altar to transfer the prepared Gifts to the throne. The deacon has air on his left shoulder, he carries the paten with both hands, placing it on his head. The priest carries the Holy Chalice in front of him. They leave the altar through the northern side doors, stop at the pulpit, and, facing the faithful, say a prayer for the Patriarch, the bishops, and for all Orthodox Christians.
Deacon: Our Great Lord and Father Alexy, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Our Lord Most Reverend (the name of the rivers of the diocesan bishop) metropolitan (or: archbishop, or: bishop) (title of the diocesan bishop), may the Lord God always remember in His Kingdom , now and forever, and forever and ever.
Priest: May the Lord God remember all of you Orthodox Christians in His Kingdom always, now and forever, and forever and ever.
Then the priest and deacon enter the altar through the Royal Doors. This is how the Great Entrance is made.
The Gifts brought are placed on the throne and covered with air (a large cover), the Royal Doors are closed and the veil is drawn. The chanters complete the Cherubic Hymn. During the transfer of the Gifts from the altar to the throne, believers remember how the Lord voluntarily went to suffering and death on the cross. They stand with their heads bowed and pray to the Savior for themselves and their loved ones.
After the Great Entrance, the deacon pronounces the Litany of Petition, the priest blesses those present with the words: "Peace to all." Then it is exclaimed: “Let us love one another, that we confess with one mind” and the choir continues: “Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, the Trinity Consubstantial and Inseparable.”
Following this, usually the whole temple, the Creed is sung. On behalf of the Church, it briefly expresses the whole essence of our faith, and therefore must be pronounced in joint love and unanimity.
Symbol of faith
I believe in the One God, the Almighty Father, the Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in the One Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, Who was born from the Father before all ages. Light from light, true God from true God, born uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was. For us, man, and for our salvation, he descended from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, And suffering, and buried. And resurrected on the third day according to the scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And the packs of the future with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped with the glorious, who spoke the prophets. Into one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
After singing the Creed, the time comes to bring the “Holy Exaltation” with the fear of God and without fail “in peace”, without having malice or enmity against anyone.
"Let's become good, let's stand with fear, let's pay attention, bring the holy exaltation in the world." In response to this, the choir sings: "The grace of the world, the sacrifice of praise."
The gifts of the world will be a thankful and laudatory sacrifice to God for all His good deeds. The priest blesses the believers with the words: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love (love) of God and the Father, and the communion (communion) of the Holy Spirit be with you all." And then he calls: “Woe to our hearts,” that is, we will have hearts aspiring upward, to God. To this, the singers on behalf of the believers answer: “Imams to the Lord”, that is, we already have hearts aspiring to the Lord.
With the words of the priest, “We thank the Lord” begins main part liturgy. We thank the Lord for all His mercies and make a prostration, and the singers sing: “It is worthy and righteous to worship the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity of the Consubstantial Inseparable.”
At this time, the priest in the prayer, which is called the Eucharistic (that is, thanksgiving), glorifies the Lord and His perfection, thanks Him for the creation and redemption of man, and for all His graces known to us and even unknown. He thanks the Lord for accepting this bloodless Sacrifice, although He is surrounded by higher spiritual beings - archangels, angels, cherubim, seraphim, "singing, crying out, crying out and speaking the song of victory." The priest speaks these last words of the secret prayer aloud. The singers add to them the angelic song: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Hosts, fulfill (that is, filled) heaven and earth with Thy glory.” This song, which is called “Seraphim,” is supplemented by the words with which the people greeted the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem: “Hosanna in the highest (that is, he who lives in heaven) Blessed is he who comes (that is, he who goes) in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!"
The priest pronounces the exclamation: "Singing the victorious song, crying out, calling out and speaking." These words are taken from the visions of the prophet Ezekiel and the Apostle John the Theologian, who saw in the revelation the Throne of God, surrounded by angels having various images: one was in the form of an eagle (the word “singing” refers to it), the other in the form of a calf (“cryingly”) , the third in the form of a lion (“calling”) and, finally, the fourth in the form of a man (“verbal”). These four angels continually exclaimed: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Hosts." While singing these words, the priest secretly continues the prayer of thanksgiving, he glorifies the good that God sends to people, His infinite love for His creation, which was manifested in the coming to earth of the Son of God.
Remembering the Last Supper at which the Lord instituted the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the priest loudly pronounces the words spoken by the Savior at it: “Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins.” And also: “Drink all of her, this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.” Finally, the priest, remembering in secret prayer the commandment of the Savior to take Communion, glorifies His life, suffering and death, resurrection, ascension to heaven and second coming in glory, loudly pronounces: These words mean: "Your gifts from Your servants we bring to You, Lord, because of everything we have said."
The singers sing: “We sing to You, we bless You, we thank You, Lord. And we pray, our God."
The priest in secret prayer asks the Lord to send His Holy Spirit on the people standing in the church and on the Offered Gifts, so that He sanctifies them. Then the priest reads the troparion three times in an undertone: “Lord, even Thy Most Holy Spirit at the third hour sent down by Thy apostles, Him, good, do not take away from us, but renew us, praying.” The deacon pronounces the twelfth and thirteenth verse of the 50th psalm: “Create a pure heart in me, O God…” and “Do not cast me away from Your presence….”. Then the priest blesses the Holy Lamb lying on the paten and says: “And make this bread, the precious Body of Thy Christ.”
Then he blesses the cup, saying: "And the hedgehog in this cup is the precious Blood of Thy Christ." And, finally, he blesses the gifts along with the words: "Changing by Your Holy Spirit." In these great and holy moments, the Gifts become the true Body and Blood of the Savior, although they remain in appearance the same as before.
The priest with the deacon and the faithful make prostration before the Holy Gifts, as to the King and God himself. After the consecration of the Gifts, the priest in secret prayer asks the Lord that those who partake will be strengthened in every good thing, that their sins will be forgiven, that they will partake of the Holy Spirit and reach the Kingdom of Heaven, that the Lord will allow them to turn to Himself with their needs and not condemn them for unworthy communion. The priest remembers the saints and especially the Blessed Virgin Mary and loudly proclaims: “Fairly (that is, especially) about the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary”, and the choir responds with a song of praise:
It is worthy to eat, as truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.
The priest continues to secretly pray for the dead and, moving on to praying for the living, loudly commemorates His Holiness the Patriarch, the ruling diocesan bishop, “in the first place”, the choir answers: “And everyone and everything”, that is, asks the Lord to remember all believers. The prayer for the living ends with the exclamation of the priest: “And give us with one mouth and one heart (that is, with one accord) to glorify and sing of Your most honorable and magnificent name, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever.”
Finally, the priest blesses all those present: "And may the mercies of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you all."
A petitionary litany begins: “All the saints who have remembered, again and again, let us pray to the Lord in peace.” That is, having remembered all the saints, let us again pray to the Lord. After the litany, the priest proclaims: “And vouchsafe us, Vladyka, with boldness (boldly, as children ask their father) to dare (to dare) to call upon you the Heavenly God the Father and speak.”
Prayer "Our Father..."
The prayer “Our Father ...” is usually sung after this by the whole temple
With the words “Peace to all,” the priest once again blesses the faithful.
The deacon, standing at this time on the pulpit, girds himself crosswise with an orarion, so that, firstly, it would be more convenient for him to serve the priest during Communion, and secondly, in order to express his reverence for the Holy Gifts, in imitation of the seraphim.
At the exclamation of the deacon: “Let us attend,” the veil of the Royal Doors twitch in remembrance of the stone that was nailed to the Holy Sepulcher. The priest, raising the Holy Lamb over the diskos, loudly proclaims: “The Holy One to the Holy Ones.” In other words, the Holy Gifts can only be given to saints, that is, to believers who have sanctified themselves through prayer, fasting, the Sacrament of Repentance. And, realizing their unworthiness, believers answer: "There is one holy, one Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father."
First, the clergy take communion in the altar. The priest breaks the Lamb into four parts as it was incised on the proskomedia. The part with the inscription “IC” is lowered into the bowl, and warmth, that is, hot water, is poured into it, as a reminder that believers, under the guise of wine, accept the true Blood of Christ.
The other part of the Lamb with the inscription “XC” is intended for the communion of the clergy, and the parts with the inscriptions “NI” and “KA” are for the communion of the laity. These two parts are cut with a copy according to the number of those who take communion into small parts, which are lowered into the Chalice.
While the clergy take communion, the choir sings a special verse, which is called "communion", as well as some chant suitable for the occasion. Russian church composers wrote many spiritual works that are not included in the canon of worship, but are performed by the choir at this particular time. Usually a sermon is delivered at the same time.
Finally, the Royal Doors are opened for the communion of the laity, and the deacon, with the Holy Cup in his hands, says: “Come with the fear of God and faith.”
The priest reads a prayer before Holy Communion, and the faithful repeat it to themselves: “I believe, Lord, and I confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came into the world to save sinners, from whom I am the first. I also believe that This is Your Most Pure Body and This is Your Most Honorable Blood. I pray to Thee: have mercy on me and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, even in word, even in deed, even in knowledge and ignorance, and make me worthy to partake without condemnation of Your Most Pure Mysteries, for the remission of sins and eternal life. Amen. Thy secret supper today, Son of God, accept me as a partaker, not for Thy enemy we will sing a secret, nor will I give kisses to Thee, like Judas, but, like a robber, I confess Thee: remember me, Lord, in Thy Kingdom. May the communion of Your Holy Mysteries, O Lord, not be for judgment or condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.
The communicants make a prostration and, folding their arms crosswise on their chests ( right hand on top of the left), reverently approach the bowl, calling the priest their Christian name given at baptism. There is no need to be baptized in front of the cup, because you can push it with a careless movement. The choir sings “Take the body of Christ, taste the source of the immortal”.
After communion, they kiss the lower edge of the Holy Chalice and go to the table, where they drink warmth (church wine mixed with hot water) and get a particle of prosphora. This is done so that not a single smallest particle of the Holy Gifts remains in the mouth and so as not to immediately proceed to the usual everyday food. After everyone takes communion, the priest brings the cup into the altar and lowers into it the particles taken out of the service and brought prosphora with a prayer that the Lord would wash away the sins of all those who were commemorated at the liturgy with His Blood.
Then he blesses the believers, who sing: “We have seen the true light, we have received the Spirit of heaven, we have gained the true faith, we worship the inseparable Trinity: She has saved us.”
The deacon transfers the diskos to the altar, and the priest, taking the Holy Chalice in his hands, blesses the worshipers with it. This last appearance of the Holy Gifts before being transferred to the altar reminds us of the Ascension of the Lord into heaven after His Resurrection. AT last time bowing to the Holy Gifts, as to the Lord Himself, the faithful thank Him for Communion, and the choir sings a song of thanksgiving: “May our lips be filled with Your praise, Lord, as if we sing Your glory, as if You made us worthy to partake of Your Holy Divine, immortal and life-giving Mysteries; keep us about Your holiness, all day long learn from Your righteousness. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia."
The deacon pronounces a short litany in which he thanks the Lord for Communion. The priest, having risen to the Holy See, folds the antimension on which stood the chalice and diskos, and places the altar Gospel on it.
By proclaiming loudly “Let us go in peace,” he shows that the liturgy is ending, and soon the faithful can go home quietly and in peace.
Then the priest reads the prayer behind the ambo (because it is read behind the pulpit) “Bless those who bless Thee, O Lord, and sanctify those who trust in Thee, save Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, preserve the fulfillment of Thy Church, sanctify those who love the splendor of Thy house, You glorify those who are Divine Thy strength and do not leave us who trust in You. Grant peace to Thy world, to Thy Churches, to the priest and to all Thy people. As every gift is good and every gift is perfect from above, descend from Thee, the Father of lights. And we send glory to you, and thanksgiving, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever.
The choir sings: "Be the name of the Lord blessed from now on and forever."
The priest blesses the worshipers for the last time and pronounces dismissal with a cross in his hand facing the temple. Then everyone approaches the cross in order to kiss it to confirm their fidelity to Christ, in whose remembrance the Divine Liturgy was performed.
Proskomedia, the Liturgy of the Catechumens, the antiphon and the litany - what do all these words mean, says Archimandrite Nazariy (Omelyanenko), a teacher at the Kyiv Theological Academy.
– Father, the Liturgy of John Chrysostom is celebrated in the Orthodox Church throughout the year, except for Great Lent, when it is served on Saturdays, on the Annunciation Holy Mother of God and in the Week of Vayi. When did the Liturgy of John Chrysostom appear? And what does the word "liturgy" mean?
– The word “Liturgy” is translated from Greek as “common cause”. This is the most important divine service of the daily circle, during which the Eucharist is celebrated. After the Lord ascended to Heaven, the apostles began to celebrate the Sacrament of Communion every day, while reading prayers, psalms and Holy Scripture. The first rite of the Liturgy was composed by the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord. In the Ancient Church, there were many rites of the Liturgy on the territory of the Roman Empire, which were unified during the 4th-7th centuries and are now used in the same form in the Orthodox Church. The Liturgy of John Chrysostom, which is performed more often than others, is an independent creation of the saint based on the text of the Anaphora of the Apostle James. The Liturgy of Basil the Great is served only 10 times a year (5 Sundays of Great Lent, Great Thursday, Great Saturday, Christmas Eve and Epiphany Eve, the day of memory of the saint) and is an abridged version of the Liturgy of James. The Third Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the edition of which is attributed to St. Gregory the Dialogist, Bishop of Rome. This Liturgy is celebrated only in Great Lent: on Wednesday and Friday, on Thursday of the fifth week, on the first three days of Passion Week.
- The liturgy consists of three parts. The first part is proskomedia. What happens during the proskomedia in the temple?
- "Proskomedia" is translated as "offering". This is the first part of the Liturgy, in which the preparation of bread and wine for the celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist is carried out. Initially, proskomidia consisted of a procedure for choosing the best bread and dissolving wine with water. It should be noted that these substances were brought to perform the Sacrament by Christians themselves. Since the 4th century, there has been the circumcision of the Lamb - the Eucharistic bread. From the 7th-9th centuries, proskomidia gradually formed as a complex rite with the removal of many particles. Accordingly, the location of the proskomedia during the service in historical retrospect changed. At first, it was performed in front of the Great Entrance, later, with the development of the rite, it was brought to the beginning of the Liturgy for reverent celebration. Bread for proskomidia should be fresh, clean, wheaten, well mixed and prepared with sourdough. After church reform Patriarch Nikon began to use five prosphora for proskomedia (before the reform, the Liturgy was served on seven prosphora) in remembrance of the gospel miracle of Christ feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread. In appearance, the prosphora should be round and two-part, in commemoration of the two natures of Jesus Christ. To remove the Lamb, a prosphora is used with a special seal on top in the form of a sign of a cross that separates the inscription: ΙС ХС NI КА - “Jesus Christ conquers”. Wine for proskomidia should be natural grape, without impurities, red.
During the removal of the Lamb and the pouring of dissolved wine into the chalice, the priest pronounces the words of prophecies and gospel quotations about the passions and death of the Savior on the Cross. Next comes the removal of particles for the Mother of God, the saints, the living and the departed. All particles are placed on the diskos in such a way as to visibly indicate the fullness of the Church of Christ (earthly and heavenly), of which Christ is the head.
– The second part of the Liturgy is called the Liturgy of the catechumens. Where did such a name come from?
—The Liturgy of the catechumens is indeed the second part of the Liturgy. This part got such a name because at that moment they could pray in the temple together with the faithful and the catechumens - people who were preparing to receive Baptism and underwent catechesis. In ancient times, catechumens stood in the porch and gradually got used to Christian worship. This part is also called the Liturgy of the word, since the central point is the reading of the Holy Scriptures and the sermon. The reading of the Apostle and the Gospel conveys to believers the life and teachings of Christ about God, and incense between readings symbolizes the spread of grace on earth after the preaching of Christ and the apostles.
When are the antiphons sung? What it is?
– During the service of the Orthodox Church, prayers can be performed antiphonally, that is, alternately. The principle of singing psalms antiphonally in the Eastern Church was introduced by Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer, and in the Western Church by St. Ambrose of Milan. There are two types of antiphons, which are performed at Matins and at the Liturgy. The degree antiphons at Matins are used only at the All-Night Vigil; they are written based on the 18th kathisma in imitation of Old Testament singing on the steps when ascending to the Jerusalem temple. At the Liturgy, antiphons are divided into everyday ones (91st, 92nd, 94th psalms), which got their name from their use during the daily service; pictorial (102nd, 145th psalms, blessed) are called so because they are taken from the Succession of the pictorial; and festive, which are used on the Lord's Twelve Feasts and Easter and consisting of verses from selected psalms. According to the Typicon, there is also the concept of the antiphons of the Psalter, i.e., the division of the kathisma into three "glories", which are called antiphons.
– What is a litany and what are they?
– Litany, translated from Greek, means “long-drawn prayer”, represents the petitions of the deacon with the singing of the choir alternately and the final exclamation of the priest. There are the following types of litanies: great (peaceful), special, small, petitionary, funeral, about catechumens, lithium, final (at the end of Compline and Midnight Office). There are also litanies at various prayer services, sacraments, trebs, monastic tonsures, and ordinations. In fact, they have the structure of the above litanies, only they have additional petitions.
– The third part of the Liturgy is the Liturgy of the Faithful. Is this the most important part?
—The Liturgy of the Faithful is so called because only the faithful can attend it. Another name is the Liturgy of the Sacrifice, since the central place is the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice, the celebration of the Eucharist. This is the most important part of the Liturgy. At the beginning of this part, the singing of the Cherubic Hymn and the Great Entrance are performed, during which the Holy Gifts are transferred from the altar to the throne. Further, before the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer), all believers together pronounce the Creed, testifying to the unity of confession of the Orthodox faith. During the Anaphora, the priest recites sacramental prayers with the invocation of the Holy Spirit to sanctify those who pray and offer the Holy Gifts. The Liturgy of the Faithful ends with the communion of the clergy and the faithful, in which the catholicity and unity of Christ's Church is visibly testified.
Interviewed by Natalya Goroshkova
9.1. What is worship? The worship of the Orthodox Church is the service to God by reading prayers, hymns, sermons and sacred rites performed in accordance with the Charter of the Church. 9.2. What are worship services for? Worship as outer side religion serves as a means for Christians to express their inner religious faith and reverent feelings for God, a means of mysterious communion with God. 9.3. What is the purpose of worship? The purpose of the worship service established by the Orthodox Church is to give Christians the best way expressions of petitions addressed to the Lord, thanksgiving and glorifications; to teach and educate believers in the truths of the Orthodox faith and the rules of Christian piety; to bring believers into mysterious communion with the Lord and communicate to them the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit.
9.4. What do the names of Orthodox services mean?
(common cause, public service) is the main divine service during which Communion (Communion) of the faithful takes place. The remaining eight services are preparatory prayers for the Liturgy.
Vespers- a service performed at the end of the day, in the evening.
compline- service after supper (dinner) .
Midnight Office – a service meant to be performed at midnight.
Matins – service performed in the morning, before sunrise.
Clock Services – commemoration of the events (by the hour) of Good Friday (the suffering and death of the Savior), His Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles.
On the eve of major holidays and Sundays, an evening service is performed, which is called the all-night vigil, because among the ancient Christians it lasted all night. The word "vigil" means "awake." The All-Night Vigil consists of Vespers, Matins and the First Hour. In modern churches, the all-night vigil is most often performed in the evening on the eve of Sundays and holidays.
9.5. What worship services are performed in the Church daily?
- In the name of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church daily performs evening, morning and afternoon services in churches. In turn, each of these three divine services is composed of three parts:
Evening worship - from the ninth hour, Vespers, Compline.
morning- from Midnight Office, Matins, the first hour.
Daytime- from the third hour, the sixth hour, Divine Liturgy .
Thus, nine services are formed from the evening, morning and afternoon church services.
Due to the weakness of modern Christians, such statutory services are performed only in some monasteries (for example, in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery). In most parish churches, divine services are performed only in the morning and evening, with some reductions.
9.6. What is depicted in the Liturgy?
- In the Liturgy, under the external rites, the whole earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ is depicted: His birth, teaching, works, suffering, death, burial, Resurrection and Ascension to heaven.
9.7. What is called lunch?
– In the people, the Liturgy is called Mass. The name "mass" comes from the custom of ancient Christians after the end of the Liturgy to use the leftovers of the brought bread and wine at a common meal (or public lunch), which took place in one of the parts of the temple.
9.8. What is called lunch?
- The service of the pictorial (Lunch) is the name of a short service that is performed instead of the Liturgy when it is not supposed to serve the Liturgy (for example, during Great Lent) or when it is impossible to serve it (there is no priest, antimension, prosphora). The liturgy serves as some image or likeness of the Liturgy, is similar in composition to the Liturgy of the catechumens, and its main parts correspond to the parts of the Liturgy, with the exception of the celebration of the Sacraments. There is no communion during lunch.
9.9. Where can I find out about the schedule of services in the temple?
- The schedule of services is usually posted on the doors of the temple.
9.10. Why isn't there a censing of the temple at every service?
– Burning of the temple and worshipers happens at every divine service. Liturgical censing is complete when it covers the entire church, and small when the altar, the iconostasis and the people from the pulpit are censed.
9.11. Why is there censing in the temple?
- Incense raises the mind to the throne of God, where it goes with the prayers of the faithful. In all ages and among all peoples, the burning of incense was considered the best, purest material sacrifice to God, and of all the types of material sacrifice accepted in natural religions, the Christian Church withheld only this and a few others (oil, wine, bread). And appearance Nothing is more reminiscent of the grace-filled breath of the Holy Spirit than the smoke of incense. Filled with such lofty symbolism, censing greatly contributes to the prayerful mood of believers and its purely bodily effect on a person. Incense has an uplifting, excitatory effect on the mood. To this end, the charter, for example, before the Paschal vigil prescribes not just incense, but an extraordinary filling of the temple with a smell from the placed vessels with incense.
9.12. Why priests serve in vestments different color?
– Groups learned specific color clergy vestments. Each of the seven colors liturgical vestments correspond to the spiritual meaning of the event in honor of which the divine service is performed. There are no developed dogmatic institutions in this area, but in the Church there is an unwritten tradition that assimilates a certain symbolism to various colors used in worship.
9.13. What do they mean various colors priestly vestments?
On holidays dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as on the days of memory of His special anointed ones (prophets, apostles and saints) the color of the royal vestment is gold.
In golden robes serve on Sundays - the days of the Lord, the King of Glory.
On holidays in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos and angelic forces, as well as on the days of memory of holy virgins and virgins dress color blue or white, symbolizing special purity and purity.
Purple adopted on the feasts of the Cross of the Lord. It combines red (symbolizing the color of the blood of Christ and the Resurrection) and blue, reminiscent of the fact that the Cross opened the way to heaven.
Dark red color - the color of blood. In red vestments, services are held in honor of the holy martyrs who shed their blood for the faith of Christ.
In green clothes the day of the Holy Trinity, the day of the Holy Spirit and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) are celebrated, since green color- a symbol of life. Divine services are also performed in green vestments in honor of the saints: the monastic feat revives a person by union with Christ, renews his whole nature and leads to eternal life.
In black robes usually serve on weekdays. Black color is a symbol of renunciation of worldly fuss, crying and repentance.
White color as a symbol of the Divine uncreated light, it was adopted on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Theophany (Baptism), Ascension and Transfiguration of the Lord. In white vestments, Paschal Matins also begins - as a sign of the Divine light that shone from the Tomb of the Resurrected Savior. White robes are also relied upon for Baptisms and burials.
From Easter to the Feast of the Ascension, all divine services are performed in red vestments, symbolizing the inexpressible fiery love of God for the human race, the victory of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.
9.14. What do candlesticks with two or three candles mean?
“These are the dikirium and the trikirium. Dikyriy - a candlestick with two candles, signifying two natures in Jesus Christ: Divine and human. Trikirion - a candlestick with three candles, signifying faith in the Holy Trinity.
9.15. Why in the center of the temple on the lectern, instead of the icon, sometimes there is a cross decorated with flowers?
– This is what happens during the Holy Week of Great Lent. The cross is taken out and placed on the lectern in the center of the temple, in order to inspire and strengthen those who are fasting to continue the feat of fasting as a reminder of the suffering and death of the Lord.
On the feasts of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the Origin (Deposition) of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, the Cross is also brought to the center of the temple.
9.16. Why does the deacon stand with his back to those praying in the temple?
- He stands facing the altar, in which the Throne of God is located and the Lord Himself is invisibly present. The deacon, as it were, leads the worshipers and on their behalf pronounces prayer petitions to God.
9.17. Who are the catechumens who are called to leave the temple during the service?
- These are people who are not baptized, but who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. They cannot participate in the Church Sacraments, therefore, before the start of the most important Church Sacrament - Communion - they are called to leave the temple.
9.18. What date does carnival start?
- Maslenitsa is the last week before the start of Lent. It ends with Forgiveness Sunday.
9.19. Until what time do they read the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian?
- The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read until Wednesday of Passion Week.
9.20. When is the Shroud taken away?
– The shroud is taken to the altar before the start of the Easter service on Saturday evening.
9.21. When can one venerate the Shroud?
– You can venerate the Shroud from the middle of Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter service.
9.22. Is there Communion on Good Friday?
- Not. Since the Liturgy is not served on Good Friday, because on this day the Lord Himself sacrificed Himself.
9.23. Does Communion take place on Great Saturday, at Easter?
– Liturgy is served on Great Saturday and Pascha, therefore, there is also the Communion of the faithful.
9.24. How long does the Easter service last?
- In different churches, the end time of the Easter service is different, but most often it happens from 3 to 6 in the morning.
9.25. Why are the Royal Doors open during the entire Liturgy during Paschal Week?
– Some priests are awarded the right to serve the Liturgy with the Royal Doors open.
9.26. What days is the Liturgy of Basil the Great?
- The Liturgy of Basil the Great is served only 10 times a year: on the eve of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ and the Baptism of the Lord (or on the days of these holidays, if they fall on Sunday or Monday), January 1/14 - on the day of memory of St. Basil the Great, on five Sundays Great Lent (Palm Sunday is excluded), on Maundy Thursday and on Great Saturday of Holy Week. The Liturgy of Basil the Great differs from the Liturgy of John Chrysostom in some prayers, their longer duration and more drawn-out singing of the choir, which is why it is served a little longer.
9.27. Why is the liturgy not translated into Russian to make it more understandable?
– Slavic language- this is a grace-filled spiritualized language that the holy church people Cyril and Methodius created specifically for worship. People have lost the habit of the Church Slavonic language, and some simply do not want to understand it. But if you go to the Church regularly, and not go occasionally, then the grace of God will touch your heart, and all the words of this pure spirit-bearing language will become clear. The Church Slavonic language, due to its figurativeness, accuracy in the expression of thought, artistic brightness and beauty, is much more suitable for communication with God than the modern crippled spoken Russian language.
But main reason However, the incomprehensibility lies not in the Church Slavonic language, it is very close to Russian - in order to fully perceive it, you need to learn only a few dozen words. The fact is that even if the entire service were translated into Russian, people would still not understand anything in it. The fact that people do not perceive worship is a language problem in the least; in the first place - ignorance of the Bible. Most of the chants are highly poetic retellings of biblical stories; without knowing the source, it is impossible to understand them, in whatever language they are sung. Therefore, whoever wants to understand Orthodox worship must first of all begin by reading and studying Holy Scripture, and it is quite accessible in Russian.
9.28. Why are the lights and candles sometimes extinguished during worship in the temple?
- At Matins, during the reading of the Six Psalms, candles are extinguished in churches, except for a few. The Six Psalms is the cry of a penitent sinner before Christ the Savior who came to earth. The lack of illumination, on the one hand, helps to reflect on what is being read, on the other hand, it reminds of the gloom of the sinful state depicted by the psalms, and that external lightness does not suit the sinner. By arranging this reading in this way, the Church wants to incline believers to self-deepening, so that, having entered into themselves, they enter into a conversation with the merciful Lord, who does not want the death of a sinner (Ezek. , Savior, relationships broken by sin. The reading of the first half of the Six Psalms expresses the grief of the soul that has moved away from God and is seeking Him. Reading the second half of the Six Psalms reveals the state of a repentant soul reconciled with God.
9.29. What psalms are included in the Six Psalms and why these particular ones?
—The first part of Matins opens with a system of psalms known as the Six Psalms. The composition of the Six Psalms includes: Psalm 3 “Lord, that thou hast multiplied”, Psalm 37 “Lord, let not rage”, Psalm 62 “God, my God, I will morning you”, Psalm 87 “Lord God of my salvation”, Psalm 102 “Bless my soul is the Lord”, Psalm 142 “Lord, hear my prayer”. The psalms are chosen, must be not without intention from different places Psalms evenly; in this way they represent it all. The psalms are chosen to have a uniform content and tone, which dominates the Psalter; namely, they all depict the persecution of the righteous by enemies and his firm hope in God, only growing from the increase in persecution and in the end reaching exultant calm in God (psalm 102). All these psalms are inscribed with the name of David, except for 87, who is the "sons of Korah", and sung by him, of course, during the persecution by Saul (maybe psalm 62) or Absalom (psalms 3; 142), reflecting in themselves spiritual growth singer in these disasters. Of the many psalms of similar content, it is these ones that have been chosen here because in some places they mean night and morning (ps. ”, v. 14: “I will learn from the flattering all day long”; ps. in the days I called out and in the nights before you”, v.10: “all day long my hands have lifted up to you”, vv.13, 14: “the food will be known in the darkness of your wonders ... and I call to you, Lord, and pray in the morning mine will precede Thee"; ps.102:15: "his days are like a green flower"; ps.142:8: "I hear you do me Thy mercy in the morning"). Psalms of repentance alternate with thanksgiving ones.
Six Psalms listen in mp3 format
9.30. What is a "polyle"?
- Polyeleos is the most solemn part of matins - the divine service, which is performed in the morning or in the evening; polyeleos are served only at festive matins. This is determined by the liturgical charter. On the eve of Sunday or the Feast of Matins, it is part of the All-Night Vigil and is served in the evening.
Polyeleos begins after reading the kathismas (Psalms) with the singing of laudatory verses from the psalms: 134 - “Praise the name of the Lord” and 135 - “Confess to the Lord” and ends with the reading of the Gospel. In ancient times, when the first words of this hymn “Praise the name of the Lord” sounded after the kathismas, numerous lamps (oil lamps) were lit in the temple. Therefore, this part of the All-Night Vigil is called the "multi-eleon" or, in Greek, polyeleos ("poly" - a lot, "oils" - oil). The Royal Doors are opened, and the priest, preceded by a deacon holding a lit candle, censes the throne and the entire altar, the iconostasis, the choir, those praying, and the entire church. The open Royal Doors symbolize the open Tomb of the Lord, from where the kingdom of eternal life shone. After reading the Gospel, all those present at the service approach the icon of the feast and venerate it. In memory of the fraternal meal of the ancient Christians, which was accompanied by anointing with fragrant oil, the priest traces the sign of the cross on the forehead of everyone who approaches the icon. This practice is called the anointing. The anointing with oil serves as an outward sign of participation in the grace and spiritual joy of the feast, communion with the Church. Anointing with consecrated oil on the polyeleos is not a Sacrament; it is a rite that only symbolizes the invocation of God's mercy and blessing.
9.31. What is "lithium"?
- Lithia in Greek means fervent prayer. The current charter recognizes four types of litia, which, according to the degree of solemnity, can be arranged in this order: a) “litia outside the monastery”, laid on some of the twelfth feasts and on Bright Week before the Liturgy; b) lithium at the great vespers, connected with the vigil; c) lithium at the end of the festive and Sunday matins; d) Litany for the dead after everyday Vespers and Matins. In terms of the content of the prayers and the order, these types of lithium are very different from each other, but they have in common the procession from the temple. This exodus in the first form (of those listed) of lithium is complete, and in the rest it is incomplete. But here and there it is performed in order to express prayer not only in words, but also in movement, to change its place in order to enliven prayerful attention; the further goal of the litia is to express - removing from the temple - our unworthiness to pray in it: we pray, standing before the gates of the holy temple, as if before the gates of heaven, like Adam, the publican, the prodigal son. Hence the somewhat repentant and mournful character of the lithic prayers. Finally, in the lithium, the Church proceeds from her grace-filled milieu to the outer world or to the narthex, as a part of the temple that is in contact with this world, open to all who are not accepted into the Church or excluded from it, with the goal of a prayer mission in this world. Hence the nationwide and ecumenical character (about the whole world) of lithic prayers.
9.32. What is the procession and when does it happen?
- A procession of the cross is a solemn procession of clergy and believing laity with icons, banners and other shrines. Religious processions are made on annual, special days established for them: on the Bright Resurrection of Christ - the Easter Procession; on the feast of the Epiphany for the great consecration of water in memory of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan, as well as in honor of shrines and great church or state events. There are also emergency religious processions established by the Church on especially important occasions.
9.33. Where did the processions come from?
- Just like the holy icons, the processions of the cross got their origin from the Old Testament. The ancient righteous often made solemn and popular processions with singing, trumpeting and jubilation. Narratives about this are set out in the sacred books of the Old Testament: Exodus, Numbers, Kings, Psalter and others.
The first prototypes of the processions were: the journey of the sons of Israel from Egypt to the promised land; the procession of all Israel after the ark of God, from which came the miraculous division of the Jordan River (Josh. 3:14-17); a solemn sevenfold circumambulation with the ark around the walls of Jericho, during which the miraculous fall of the impregnable walls of Jericho took place at the sound of sacred trumpets and the cries of all the people (Josh. 6:5-19); as well as the solemn nationwide transfer of the ark of the Lord by the kings David and Solomon (2 Kings 6:1-18; 3 Kings 8:1-21).
9.34. What does the Easter procession mean?
- The Holy Resurrection of Christ is celebrated with special solemnity. The Easter service begins on Holy Saturday, late in the evening. At Matins, after Midnight Office, the Paschal procession is performed - the worshipers, led by the clergy, leave the church to make a solemn procession around the church. Like the myrrh-bearing women who met the resurrected Christ the Savior outside Jerusalem, Christians meet the news of the coming of the Light Christ's Resurrection outside the walls of the temple - they seem to be marching towards the resurrected Savior.
The Paschal procession is accompanied by candles, banners, censers and the icon of the Resurrection of Christ accompanied by a continuous ringing of bells. Before entering the temple, the solemn Paschal procession stops at the door and enters the temple only after the jubilant message has sounded three times: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs!” The procession enters the temple, just as the myrrh-bearing women came to Jerusalem with joyful news to the disciples of Christ about the risen Lord.
9.35. How many times does the Easter procession take place?
- The first Paschal procession takes place on Easter night. Then within a week bright week) every day after the end of the Liturgy, the Easter procession is performed, and before the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the same processions are performed every Sunday.
9.36. What does the Procession with the Shroud on Holy Week mean?
- This mournful and deplorable procession takes place in memory of the burial of Jesus Christ, when His secret disciples Joseph and Nicodemus, accompanied by the Mother of God and the myrrh-bearing wives, carried Jesus Christ who died on the cross. They went from Mount Golgotha to the vineyard of Joseph, where there was a burial cave, in which, according to the custom of the Jews, they laid the body of Christ. In commemoration of this sacred event - the burial of Jesus Christ - the procession is performed with the Shroud, which represents the body of the deceased Jesus Christ, as it was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb.
The apostle says to believers: "Remember My Ties"(Col. 4:18). If the apostle commands Christians to remember his sufferings in chains, how much more strongly should they remember the sufferings of Christ. During the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, modern Christians did not live and did not then share the sorrows with the apostles, therefore, during the days of Passion Week, they remember their sorrows and lamentations about the Redeemer.
Anyone who is called a Christian, who celebrates the mournful moments of the suffering and death of the Savior, cannot but be a participant in the heavenly joy of His Resurrection, for, according to the words of the apostle: "But joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him"(Rom. 8:17).
9.37. On what emergencies are religious processions performed?
- Extraordinary religious processions are performed with the permission of the diocesan church authorities on cases of particular vital importance for the parish, the diocese or the entire Orthodox people - during the invasion of foreigners, during the attack of a devastating disease, during famine, drought or other disasters.
9.38. What do the banners with which the processions are performed mean?
- The first prototype of the banners was after the Flood. God, appearing to Noah during his sacrifice, revealed a rainbow in the clouds and called it "a sign of an everlasting covenant" between God and people (Gen. 9:13-16). Just as a rainbow in the sky reminds people of the covenant of God, so the image of the Savior on banners serves as a constant reminder of the deliverance of the human race at the Last Judgment from the spiritual fiery flood.
The second prototype of the banner was at the exit of Israel from Egypt during the passage through the Red Sea. Then the Lord appeared in a pillar of cloud and covered all the army of Pharaoh with darkness from this cloud, and destroyed it in the sea, but saved Israel. So on the banners, the image of the Savior is visible as a cloud that appeared from heaven to defeat the enemy - the spiritual pharaoh - the devil with all his army. The Lord always wins and drives away the power of the enemy.
The third type of banners was the same cloud that covered the tabernacle and overshadowed Israel during the journey to the promised land. All Israel gazed at the sacred cloud cover and with spiritual eyes perceived the presence of God Himself in it.
Another prototype of the banner is the copper serpent, which was erected by Moses at the command of God in the wilderness. When looking at him, the Jews received healing from God, since the bronze serpent represented the Cross of Christ (John 3:14,15). So while carrying banners during the procession, believers raise their bodily eyes to the images of the Savior, the Mother of God and the saints; with spiritual eyes, they ascend to their Archetypes that exist in heaven and receive spiritual and bodily healing from the sinful remorse of spiritual serpents - demons that tempt all people.
A practical guide to parish counseling. St. Petersburg 2009.
It is very important to define for yourself such concepts as the Divine Liturgy, the Sacrament of Communion and the Eucharist. Translated from Greek The Eucharist means "the sacrament of thanksgiving". But the liturgy is the greatest church service, during which the Flesh and Blood of Christ are sacrificed in the form of bread and wine. Then the Sacrament of Communion itself takes place, when a person, eating consecrated bread and wine, communes with God, which implies his purity, both physical and spiritual. Therefore, before Communion, it is imperative to confess.
Church worship is daily, weekly and annual. In turn, the daily cycle includes those services that the Orthodox Church performs throughout the day. There are nine of them. The main and main part is the Divine Liturgy.
daily circle
Moses described the creation of the world by God, starting the "day" with the evening. So it happened in the Christian Church, where the "day" also began to begin with the evening and was called Vespers. This service is performed at the end of the day, when believers thank God for the past day. The next service is called Compline, and it consists of a series of prayers that are read in order to ask God for our forgiveness of all sins and protection of the body and soul during sleep from the evil machinations of the devil. Then comes the Midnight Office, calling on all believers to be always prepared for the day when the Last Judgment comes.
At the morning service, Orthodox parishioners thank the Lord for the past night and ask him for mercy. The first hour corresponds to our seven o'clock in the morning and serves as a time of consecration by prayer for the coming of a new day. At the third hour (nine o'clock in the morning) the crucifixion of Christ is remembered. At the sixth hour (twelve o'clock in the afternoon) the crucifixion of Christ is remembered. At the ninth hour (third hour of noon), the death of the Savior Christ is remembered. Then comes the Divine Liturgy.
Orthodox liturgy
In church worship, the Divine Liturgy is the main and main part of the service, which is held before dinner, or rather in the morning. At these moments, the whole life of the Lord is remembered from the moment of His Birth to the Ascension. In such an amazing way, the Sacrament of Holy Communion takes place.
The main thing you need to understand is that the liturgy is the Great Mystery of the Love of the Lord God for man, established by him on the day that he ordered his apostles to perform. After the Lord ascended to Heaven, the apostles began to celebrate the Sacrament of Communion every day, while reading prayers, psalms, and the First rite of the liturgy was composed by the Apostle James.
All church services in the most ancient times were held in monasteries and with hermits at the time set for them. But then, for the convenience of the believers themselves, these services were combined into three parts of worship: evening, morning and afternoon.
In general, the liturgy is, first of all, thanksgiving to the Son of God for His benefits, visible and invisible, which He sends through people or any circumstances, for His death on the cross and saving suffering, for His resurrection and ascension, for mercy and the opportunity to turn to Him for help at any moment. People go to the liturgy to transform their consciousness and change their perception of reality, so that a mysterious meeting with God and with themselves takes place, the way the Lord wants to see and expects Himself.
The liturgy is also a prayer to God for all your relatives, friends, for yourself, for the country and for the whole world, so that in difficult times he will protect and console. At the end of the week, a special thanksgiving service and Sunday liturgy are usually held.
During the liturgy, the most important sacrament of the Church takes place - the Eucharist ("thanksgiving"). Every believing Christian can prepare and receive Holy Communion by this time.
Orthodox liturgy is divided into three types, which bear the names of Saints John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, and the Presanctified Gifts.
Liturgy of John Chrysostom
The church liturgy received this name thanks to its author, who is considered to be the Archbishop of Constantinople
He lived in the 4th century, when he brought together various prayers and created the rite of Christian worship, which takes place on most days of the liturgical year, except for some holidays and several days of Great Lent. Saint John Chrysostom became the author of the priest's secret prayers, read during the service.
The Liturgy of Chrysostom is divided into three successive parts. First comes the proskomedia, followed by the Liturgy of the Catechumens and the Liturgy of the Faithful.
Proskomedia
Proskomidia is translated from Greek as "offering". In this part, everything necessary for the performance of the Sacrament is being prepared. For this, five prosphora are used, but it is for the communion itself that only one is used, which has the name "Holy Lamb". Proskomedia is performed by an Orthodox priest on a special altar, where the Sacrament itself is performed and the union of all the particles around the Lamb on the diskos, which creates a symbol of the Church, at the head of which is the Lord himself.
Liturgy of the Catechumens
This part is a continuation of the liturgy of St. Chrysostom. At this time, the preparation of believers for the Sacrament of Communion begins. The life and sufferings of Christ are remembered. got its name because in ancient times only instructed or catechumens were allowed to it, preparing for the acceptance of Holy Baptism. They stood in the vestibule and had to leave the temple after the special words of the deacon: "Announcement, go out ...".
Liturgy of the Faithful
It is attended only by baptized Orthodox parishioners. This is a special divine liturgy, the text of which is read from the Holy Scriptures. At these moments, important sacred rites, prepared earlier during the previous parts of the liturgies, are completed. The gifts from the altar are transferred to the throne, the believers are prepared for the consecration of the Gifts, then the Gifts are also consecrated. Then all believers prepare for Communion and take communion. Then there is thanksgiving for Communion and dismissal.
Liturgy of Basil the Great
The theologian Basil the Great lived in the 4th century. He held the important ecclesiastical office of Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia.
One of his main creations is considered to be the service of the Divine Liturgy, which contains the secret prayers of the clergy, read during church service. He also included other prayer petitions there.
According to the Christian Charter of the Church, this rite is performed only ten times a year: on the day of the memory of St. Basil the Great, on Christmas and Epiphany, from the 1st to the 5th Sunday of Great Lent, on Great Thursday and Great Saturday of Holy Week.
This service is in many ways similar to the Liturgy of John Chrysostom, only the difference lies in the fact that the dead are not commemorated at litanies, secret prayers are read, certain chants of the Mother of God occur.
The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great was accepted by the entire Orthodox East. But after some time, John Chrysostom, referring to human weakness, made reductions, which, however, concerned only secret prayers.
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
This tradition of church worship is attributed to St. Gregory the Great (Dvoeslov) - the Pope of Rome, who held this high post from 540 to 604. It is held only during Great Lent, namely on Wednesday, Friday and on some other holidays, only if they do not fall on Saturday and Sunday. In essence, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is vespers, and it combines the service just before Holy Communion.
One very important feature This service is that at this time the Sacrament of the Priesthood to the rank of deacon can take place, while at the other two liturgies, Chrysostom and Basil the Great, a candidate for the rank of priest can be ordained.
Every religion or denomination has the most important ministries in churches. In Christianity, the word "liturgy" is used, which in itself has a translation from the Greek language and means "common cause." Each person who knows the designation of this term interprets its meaning in his own way, but if we turn to official sources, we will get the following answer: the liturgy is the main Christian divine service, which is accompanied by the sacrament of the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is communion with bread and wine, as Jesus Christ commanded, for His remembrance, because it was he, according to theologians, who celebrated the first Liturgy. In other words, if the sacrament of the Eucharist is performed, then such a service has the character of a Liturgy.
Time of the main Christian services
In modern divine services, there are three main types of Liturgy, the origins of which were laid at the beginning of the first millennium of our era. There are certain rules by which such services are arranged throughout the year. They should not cross each other, and eventually fill orthodox calendar with notes for each individual Liturgy.
The liturgies of St. John Chrysostom are celebrated constantly, when the other two are not:
- There are only ten liturgies for St. Basil the Great. They are performed only on the Sundays of Great Lent, except for Palm Sunday. This type services are held on Maundy Thursday and Saturday on Holy Week. An obligatory divine service is the celebration of the Liturgy on the Day of Basil the Great itself - January 14, in order to honor the memory of this saint.
- And the last holiday when they celebrate the Liturgy of the saint is Christmas and the Baptism of the Lord.
- The third type of Liturgy has several names depending on the venue and denomination. It includes the Liturgies: double words, the Pope, the previously consecrated Gifts, St. Gregory the Great. They are held only on Wednesday and Friday, but also once on Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent. On the Passion Week Liturgy is held on the first three days of the week.
- Also, this service is held on March 9 and 22 in memory of John the Baptist and the forty martyrs of Sebaste. If the temple has a rich history and its saints, who are revered by other Christians, then this particular Liturgy is celebrated on a significant day.
What is the Liturgy
All three types of the most important divine services also consist of three parts:
- Proskomedia- Preparation of the Eucharist. The priest performs the necessary rituals at the altar to consecrate the prosphora (bread and wine). During this stage, the souls of all the living and the dead are commemorated - the priest first takes out the prosphora (crushes bread) and immerses it in wine separately for each, accompanying this with a special prayer. Such a prayer is considered the most effective in the cleansing of sins for other people. Parishioners at this time read the Hours (accompanying prayers and psalms).
- The second stage of worship Liturgy of the catechumens . If only baptized people could participate and be present in the first part of the meeting, then during the second part there are also those people who are being prepared for baptism. The second stage of the service is led by a deacon who has received a blessing from the priest. His speech begins and ends with the same words. First, he blesses the Holy Trinity and pronounces the Great Litany. During the Liturgy of the catechumens, it is customary for the choir to sing antiphons (psalms that are sung in turn by the left and right parts).
- The final stage of worship is called Liturgy of the Faithful. According to the church charter, only church people and those to whom there are no personal comments from the priest and deacon can take part in this part of the service.
In practice, everyone is present at the Liturgy of the Faithful. The priests believe that the main spiritual meaning is revealed only to the faithful, so the presence of the unchurched does not interfere with the completion of the service. The most important action during the entire assembly is Anaphora, which implies the consecration of gifts. The action begins with the fact that the Gifts are transferred from the altar to the throne. The faithful are preparing for consecration, the Anaphora ritual is performed, which is accompanied by prayers from the clergy and chants of the parishioners.
After this, the faithful take Communion. The priest prays, the deacon echoes his blessings, and the parishioners are dismissed.
In fact, the listed elements of the Liturgy are the backbone of the service, and in each church it is conducted in its own way. As a rule, the priest determines the order itself and the passage of some rituals, but in general they do not differ from each other.
There are also definitions of the days on which the celebration of the Liturgy is prohibited, but as a rule these are local prohibitions. It is the Liturgy as it is that inspires believers and ordinary parishioners with its amazing spiritual atmosphere.
