First steps in the temple. Orthodoxy lessons: what is the divine liturgy

It is noteworthy that many of those who attend divine services may not at all understand the meaning and deep meaning of the Divine Liturgy. The words spoken in the chant also remain misunderstood. A gap in this kind of knowledge deprives prayer of meaningfulness, therefore, when talking with God - our Heavenly Father - we must consciously approach this issue. Christians must understand the meaning of the words they hear and speak.

For many, going to church becomes almost a feat in the spiritual sense, because you have to wait a long time for your turn to confess, and then listen to the incomprehensible speeches of the churchman. In fact, when we come to the Church, we, in fact, find ourselves in the Upper Room of Zion, where we are waiting for our hour of spiritual purification.

Gotta be ready for Orthodox worship so that together with everyone, with one heart and mouth, to sing the glory of the Lord. This article will reveal the meaning and give an explanation of this church service, tell about its origin, about what varieties there are, how they are performed, what is the order.

Divine Liturgy with explanations - download, listen online

There is also a wonderful lecture by Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev on the Divine Liturgy, in which a detailed explanation of the Orthodox rite is given in intelligible language and easy style (understandable even for dummies in this matter).

Lectures by Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev, replete with explanations, can be found in video and audio format, watched and listened to online, and also downloaded. Such materials are recommended for familiarization both to people starting their Orthodox path and to churchgoers.

The divine liturgy should not be confused with the funeral service, which is called requiem. This service differs in that it commemorates the dead, is served on the day of the death of the deceased, also on the 3rd, 9th, 40th day, and on every anniversary after death, on birthdays, name days.

A memorial service can be served both in church by a priest and at home by a layman. During this service, trusting in the mercy of God, the Lord asks for forgiveness of sins for the deceased and eternal life.

What is the liturgy in the church

This is the main Christian service, it is also called mass - the basis and center of the entire church world.

The purpose of this sacred tradition is to prepare for the sacrament of the Eucharist or Communion, which takes place at the close of the service.

The first Eucharist was celebrated by Jesus Christ on Maundy Thursday.

It is interesting: Maundy Thursday (otherwise Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday) is the fourth day of Great Week. On this day, followers of the Christian faith remember the Last Supper. It was then that Jesus Christ performed the washing of the feet of the apostles and established the sacrament of Communion. Surrounded by his disciples, Christ blessed the bread, which is His Body, and the wine, which is His Blood, and said: “Take, eat: this is My Body” (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19 ).

It is during this main church service that the dead are commemorated according to the notes “For the Repose” and about health according to the notes “On Health”, which are served by Christians. It is recommended to submit notes before the start of the service, and preferably in the evening - at the evening service.

Origin of the Orthodox Liturgy

As mentioned earlier, the Eucharist forms the basis of liturgical worship. AT Ancient Greece there was such a thing as the Eucharist.

Translated from Greek into Russian, this word means "common cause." As history testifies, after the ascension of the Savior to heaven, the apostles, in remembrance of Him, broke bread.

In the future, the tradition was passed on to all followers of this religion. Christians, having accepted the teaching of the apostles, also began to perform this sacrament, and do so to this day.

The service itself has changed over time. If at first the liturgy was performed in the order that was established in the time of the Apostles (when communion was combined with meals, prayers and fellowship), then in modern realities the liturgy was separated from the meal and turned into an independent ritual. Sacred rites began to be held in churches and temples.

What are the liturgies

Liturgical rites vary depending on the venue. For example, in Israel, the rite of the Liturgy of the Apostle James was formed.

Essence and meaning various options of the sacred rite are absolutely united, and the difference lies in the prayer texts pronounced by the priests and priests.

I would like to note that in various churches two services are served at once - early and late. The first, as a rule, begins at about 7 o'clock in the morning, and the second - at 10 o'clock. Services are held in different aisles, different priests serve, confession takes place both at early and at late Mass.

This was done for the parishioners themselves - those who work can attend early services, as well as mothers and fathers of families can attend such services without children, and bring their household members to a late service. Thus, every believing Christian can enjoy prayerful communion with God.

Liturgy of the Apostle James

This rank refers to the Jerusalem type, compiled by the Apostle James. In the 1930s, the rank was also introduced in the Russian Orthodox Church, however, not in Russia, but abroad. After 40 years, this type of church service became widespread in the Moscow Patriarchate.

Today, divine services are performed in the Orthodox churches of our country several times a year.

The difference between this rite and others like it is the way the service is conducted for the laity. Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ takes place separately: first they partake of bread from the hands of a priest, and then from another minister they receive the Chalice of the Blood of Christ.

Such a service is performed on the day of remembrance of St. James - October 23, and is also served in the East and in some Russian churches.

Liturgy of the Apostle Mark

This rank belongs to the classical Alexandrian type. To the features of worship in this case refers to conciseness, expressiveness, clarity.

Thanks to these qualities, the ceremony began to enjoy great popularity in several countries at once - at first it was performed in Alexandria, then in Egypt, and then in Italy, Armenia and Syria.

The conduct of the liturgy consists in the fact that first a procession of clergy is carried out (small entrance), then there are exclamatory prayers.

Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

This is one of three services performed in the Russian Orthodox Church, which include the liturgy of St. Basil the Great, on the basis of which the rite of John Chrysostom was compiled, and the liturgy of St. Gregory Dvoeslav.

Worship is carried out practically all year round, except for some special days.

Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great

Divine services are held 10 times a year, including Christmas and Epiphany.

The order of the service and the content of the service, with some exceptions, coincide with the previous rank.

Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Dialogist

This service is also called the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. This is explained by the fact that the Body and Blood are consecrated during this service, and then the parishioners and clergy take communion with them.

The Orthodox rite is performed on Wednesday and Friday of Great Lent.

The order of celebration of the full liturgy and its explanation

Before performing the main church service, the clergy must prepare themselves. Still not putting on any vestments, standing in the temple in front of the royal urats, the priests pray, reading the so-called "Entrance Prayers".

Then the ministers bow and kiss the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God and recite the troparia.

After that, the priests secretly pray in front of the gates so that the Lord would strengthen them for the upcoming service. Then they bow to each other, to the holy icons and to the people, and enter the altar.

The service lasts about two hours and takes place mainly in the morning. The duration, however, can be completely different, and in addition, services can be held even at night or in the evening.

As a rule, the ceremony is held on Sundays, as well as on holidays, on the days of the memory of the Saints and the celebration of icons. The whole ceremony of worship is a sequential series of actions, divided into several stages, having their own names and performed in accordance with certain rules.

The church service consists of three parts:

• proskomedia;
• the liturgy of the catechumens;
• liturgy of the faithful.

The Liturgy of St. Gregory the Dialogist does not belong to the full rites. The procedure and scheme for performing a full church service is as follows.

First, the clergy prepare the substance for the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist from bread and wine. Secondly, there is preparation for the Sacrament. And, thirdly, the Eucharist is celebrated, during which the Holy Gifts are consecrated, and Holy Communion of the participants in the service takes place.

Proskomedia

This is the first stage. The process consists in preparing and bringing the necessary attributes of worship - bread and wine. Proskomidia is performed on the altar during the reading of the hours (prayer blessings consecrating certain time days).

At the very beginning of the proskomedia, the ministers of the church put on a sacred robe and read the entrance prayers. Further, on the first prosphora, an image of a cross is made three times, a prayer is said. The middle is cut out of the prosphora in the form of a cube - the Lamb. It is placed on one of the liturgical vessels - paten.

Next, the priest pours wine into the chalice. Particles of five prosphora are placed on three sides. At the end, the clergyman covers the vessels with the Gifts with covers and "air" and asks God to bless the Gifts.

Liturgy of the catechumens

In ancient times, participation in church rites required serious long-term preparation. People had to study religious dogmas, attend church, but they had the right to read prayers during the church service only before bringing the Gifts from the altar to the throne.

First, prayer petitions are pronounced, psalms and troparia are sung. Further, the catechumens must leave the place of the Orthodox rite, since the main stage of the Divine Liturgy begins.

Liturgy of the Faithful

As soon as the call to the catechumens to leave the temple sounds, the third part of the service begins. Prayers are spoken, chants are sung. At the same time, the transfer of the Gifts to the throne takes place. This process was called the great move, which symbolizes the procession of the Savior to suffering and death.

Before the consecration of the Holy Gifts, a petitionary litany is pronounced. A litany is also pronounced, which prepares those present for communion, then the prayer "Our Father" is sung. Then comes the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ to all those who prepared for this and received the blessing of the clergyman.

It's important to know: in order to become a participant in the great sacrament of Communion, believers must go through a liturgical fast and clear their conscience - do not eat or drink after 00 hours the day before and come to confession.

After the Chalice is brought to the altar, a short litany is said. At the end of the church service, the priest calls for a blessing on the worshipers, the parishioners kiss the cross, read thanksgiving prayers.

Conclusion

Such is the essence and order of the Divine service. Everyone who considers himself a member of the Christian faith must know everything about the liturgy and understand the meaning of all actions in order to conduct a dialogue with God and make his faith truly meaningful.

The Divine Liturgy is an eternal repetition of the great feat of love that has been accomplished for us. The word “Liturgy”, literally translated, means “common (or public) work”. It appeared among the ancient Christians to designate worship, which was really "general", i.e. every member of the Christian community took part in it - from infants to the shepherd (priest).

The liturgy is, as it were, the pinnacle of the daily circle of services, the ninth of the services performed by St. Orthodox Church services throughout the day. Since the church day begins in the evening at sunset, these nine services are celebrated in the monasteries in this order:

Evening.

1. Ninth hour - (3 p.m.).
2. Vespers - (before sunset).
3. Compline - (after dark).

Morning.

1. Midnight Office - (after midnight).
2. Matins - (before dawn).
3. The first hour - (at sunrise).

Day.

1. The third hour - (9 o'clock in the morning).
2. The sixth hour - (12 noon).
3. Liturgy.

In Great Lent, it happens when the Liturgy is served together with Vespers. In our time, in parish churches, daily services most often consist of an all-night vigil or an all-night vigil, celebrated in the evening on the eve of especially revered feast days, and a Liturgy, usually celebrated in the morning. Vespers consists of the conjunction of Vespers with Matins and the first hour. Liturgy is preceded by the 3rd and 6th hours.

The daily cycle of worship symbolizes the history of the world from creation to the coming, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, Vespers is dedicated to the times of the Old Testament: the creation of the world, the fall of the first people, their expulsion from paradise, their repentance and prayer for salvation, then, the hope of people, according to the promise of God, in the Savior and, finally, the fulfillment of this promise.

Matins is dedicated to the times of the New Testament: the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world, for our salvation, His preaching (reading the Gospel) and His glorious Resurrection.

Hours - a collection of psalms and prayers that were read by Christians at four important times of the day for Christians: the first hour, when morning began for Christians; the third hour, when the descent of the Holy Spirit took place; the sixth hour, when the Savior of the world was nailed to the cross; the ninth hour, when he gave up his spirit. Since the current Christian, due to lack of time and incessant entertainment and other activities, does not find it possible to perform these prayers at the indicated hours, the 3rd and 6th hours are connected and read together.

The Liturgy is the most important service during which the Most Holy Sacrament of Communion is performed. The liturgy is also a symbolic description of the life and great feat of Jesus Christ, from birth to crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension. During each Liturgy, everyone participating in the Liturgy (and precisely those who participate, and not just “present”) again and again confirms their adherence to Orthodoxy, i.e. confirms his loyalty to Christ.

The entire service known as the "Liturgy" is celebrated on Sunday mornings and holidays, and in large cathedrals, monasteries and some parishes - daily. The liturgy lasts for about two hours and consists of next three main parts:

1. Proskomedia.
2. Liturgies of the catechumens.
3. Liturgy of the faithful.

Proskomedia

The word “Proskomidia” means “bringing”, in memory of the fact that in ancient times Christians brought everything necessary for the celebration of the liturgy - bread, wine, etc. Since all this is preparation for the liturgy, its spiritual meaning is a remembrance of the initial period of life Christ, from Christmas until His coming out to preach, which was a preparation for His exploits in the world. Therefore, the entire proskomidia is performed with the altar closed, with the veil drawn, invisibly from the people, just as the whole original life of Christ passed invisibly from the people. The priest (in Greek, “priest”) who is to celebrate the Liturgy must be sober in body and spirit since the evening, must be reconciled with everyone, must be afraid of harboring any displeasure with anyone. When the time comes, he goes to church; together with the deacon, they both bow before the royal doors, saying a series of prayers, kiss the image of the Savior, kiss the image of the Mother of God, bow to the faces of the saints of all, bow to all those who come to the right and left, asking for forgiveness from everyone with this bow, and enter the altar, saying about Psalm 5, from the middle of verse 8 to the end:

“I will enter into Your house, I will worship Your temple in Your fear”,

etc. And, having approached the throne (facing to the east), they bow before it three ground bows and kiss the gospel lying on it, as if the Lord Himself sitting on the throne; then they kiss the throne itself and proceed to dress themselves in sacred clothes in order to separate themselves not only from other people, but also from themselves, not to remind others in themselves of anything similar to a person engaged in ordinary everyday affairs. And saying:
"God! Cleanse me a sinner and have mercy on me!”
the priest and the deacon take the garments in their hands, cf. rice. one.

First, the deacon dresses: after asking for a blessing from the priest, he puts on a surplice of brilliant color, as a sign of the luminous angelic clothes and as a reminder of the immaculate purity of the heart, which should be inseparable from the dignity of the priesthood, saying when putting it on:

“My soul will rejoice in the Lord, clothe me with a robe of salvation, and clothe me with a garment of joy, like a bridegroom, put a crown on me, and like a bride, adorn me with beauty.” (i.e., “My soul will rejoice in the Lord, for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and clothed me with a robe of joy, as he put a crown on me as a bridegroom, and adorned me with ornaments as a bride”).

Then, having kissed, he takes the “orarion” - a narrow long ribbon, belonging to the diaconal title, by which he gives a sign to initiate any church action, elevating the people to prayer, singers to singing, the priest to the sacrament, himself to angelic speed and readiness in service. For the title of a deacon is like the title of an angel in heaven, and by this very thin ribbon raised up on him, fluttering like an air wing, and with his quick walking around the church, he depicts, according to the word of Chrysostom, angelic flying. Having kissed Lentie, he throws it over his shoulder.

After that, the deacon puts on the “handguards” (or armlets), thinking at that moment about the all-creating, contributing power of God; putting on the right one, he says:

“Thy right hand, O Lord, be glorified in the fortress: Thy right hand, Lord, crush the enemies, and with the multitude of Thy glory thou hast erased the adversaries.” (i.e., “Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorified in power: right hand Yours, O Lord, has crushed the enemies, and with the multitude of Your glory has destroyed the adversaries).

Putting on the left, he thinks of himself as a creation of the hands of God and prays to Him, who created him, that he guides him with His supreme guidance, saying this:

"Thy hands make me and make me: give me understanding, and I will learn thy commandment." (i.e., “Thy hands created me and created me: give me understanding and I will learn Your commandments”).

The priest dresses in the same way. At the beginning, he blesses and puts on the surplice (undercoat), accompanying this with the words that the deacon also accompanied; but, following the surplice, he no longer puts on a simple one-shoulder orarion, but a two-shoulder one, which, covering both shoulders and embracing his neck, is connected by both ends on his chest together and comes down in a connected form to the very bottom of his clothes, marking this connection in his position of two positions - priestly and diaconal. And it is no longer called the orarion, but the “epitracilius”, see fig. 2. Putting on the stole marks the outpouring of grace on the priest and is therefore accompanied by the majestic words of Scripture:

“Blessed be God, pouring out His grace on the priests, His like myrrh on the head, descending on the beard, the beard of Aaron, descending on the tassels of his clothes.” (i.e., “Blessed is God, who pours out his grace on his priests, like myrrh on his head, dripping on his beard, Aaron’s beard, dripping on the edges of his clothes”).

Then he puts on the cuffs with the same words that the deacon spoke, and girds himself with a belt over the vestry and stole, so that the width of the clothes does not interfere with the performance of the sacred rites and in order to express his readiness by this, for the person girds himself, preparing for the journey, starting work and feat : the priest also girds himself, going on the road of heavenly service, and looks at his belt, as at the fortress of the power of God, strengthening him, for which he says:

“Blessed be God, gird me with strength, and lay my path undefiled, make my feet like a deer, and set me on high.” (I.e., “Blessed is God, who gives me strength, made my path blameless and made my feet faster than deer and lifted me to the top. /Ie, to the Throne of God/”).

Finally, the priest puts on the “robe” or “phelonion”, the upper all-covering garment, signifying the all-covering truth of the Lord with the words:

“Your priests, O Lord, will be clothed in righteousness, and Your saints will always rejoice with joy, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen". (i.e., "Thy priests, O Lord, shall be clothed in righteousness, and Thy saints shall rejoice with joy always, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Truly so.")

And dressed in this way in the instruments of God, the priest is already a different person: whatever he is in himself, no matter how little he is worthy of his title, but everyone standing in the temple looks at him as an instrument of God, which is controlled by the Holy Spirit. The priest and the deacon both wash their hands, accompanying this with the reading of Psalm 25, verses 6 to 12:

“I will wash in my innocent hands, and I will dwell on your altar” etc.

Having made three bows before the altar (see Fig. 3), accompanied by the words:

"God! Cleanse me a sinner and have mercy on me” etc., the priest and deacon rise washed, enlightened, like their shining clothes, not resembling anything similar to other people in themselves, but becoming more like shining visions than people. The deacon proclaims softly about the beginning of the sacrament:

“Bless, master!” And the priest begins with the words: "Blessed be our God, always, now and forever and forever and ever." The deacon ends with the words: "Amen."

This whole part of proskomidia consists in preparing what is necessary for service, i.e. in the separation from the prosphora loaves (or “offerings”) of that bread, which at the beginning should be an image of the body of Christ, and then be transubstantiated into it. All this is done in the altar with the doors closed, with the veil drawn. For those who pray, the 3rd and 6th “hours” are read at this time.

Having approached the altar, or “offer”, located to the left of the throne, which marks the ancient side room of the temple, the priest takes one of the five prosphora in order to cut out the part that will become the “lamb” (the body of Christ) - the middle with a seal, marked with the name Christ (see fig. 4). This marks the removal of the flesh of Christ from the flesh of the Virgin - the birth of the Incorporeal in the flesh. And, thinking that He who offered Himself as a sacrifice for the whole world is born, inevitably combines the thought of the sacrifice itself and the offering and looks: at the bread, as at the lamb that is sacrificed; on the knife with which he must withdraw, as on the sacrificial one, which has the appearance of a spear, in remembrance of the spear with which the body of the Savior was pierced on the cross. He now accompanies his action neither with the words of the Savior, nor with the words of witnesses contemporary to what happened, he does not transfer himself to the past, at the time when this sacrifice took place - that is yet to come, in the last part of the liturgy - and he turns to this upcoming one. from afar with a penetrating thought, for which he accompanies all the sacred rites with the words of the prophet Isaiah, from afar, from the darkness of centuries, who saw the future miraculous birth, sacrifice and death and announced it with incomprehensible clarity.

Raising a spear to the right side of the seal, the priest pronounces the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“Like a sheep to be slaughtered”; (i.e., “like a lamb is led to the slaughter”);
hoisting the spear then to the left side, he says:
“And as a lamb is blameless, its straight shearer is dumb, so it does not open its mouth”; (i.e., “like an immaculate lamb, silent before its shearer, it is silent”);
after setting the spear on the upper side of the seal, he says:
“in humility his judgment will be taken”; (i.e., “with humility endures His judgment”);
hoisting the spear then into the lower part, pronounces the words of the prophet, who thought about the origin of the condemned Lamb:
“And who is his generation to confess?”; (i.e., “who knows His origin?”).
And he lifts the cut out middle of the bread with a spear, saying:
“as if his belly is taken up from the earth; (i.e., “how shall His life be taken from the earth”);
and then putting the bread with the seal down, and with the part taken out up (in the likeness of a lamb sacrificed), the priest cuts it crosswise, as a sign of His death on the cross, on it is a sign of sacrifice, according to which the bread will then be divided, saying:

“The Lamb of God is being eaten, take away the sin of the world, for the life of the world and salvation.” (i.e., “The Lamb of God is offered as a sacrifice, having taken upon Himself the sin of the world, for the life and salvation of the world”).

And, turning the seal upwards, he puts it on the paten and sets the spear in his right side, recalling, along with the slaughter of the victim, the perforation of the Savior's rib, performed by the spear of the warrior standing at the cross, and says:

“One of the warriors with a copy of His rib was perforated, and abie came out blood and water: and he who saw the testimony, and truly is his testimony.” (Ie, “One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and blood and water immediately came out of it; and the one who saw it testified about this, and truly there is his testimony”).

And these words also serve as a sign for the deacon to pour wine and water into the holy cup. The deacon, until then, had looked reverently at everything done by the priest, now reminding him of the commencement of the sacred service, now saying within himself: “Let us pray to the Lord!” at his every action, asking the priest for blessings, he pours a ladle of wine and a little water into the cup, connecting them together.

And in fulfillment of the rite of the leading church and the saints of the first Christians, who always remembered, when thinking about Christ, about all those who were closer to His heart by the fulfillment of His commandments and the holiness of their lives, the priest proceeds to other prosphora, so that, taking out particles from them in their remembrance, put on the same diskos near the same holy bread, which forms the Lord Himself, since they themselves were on fire with the desire to be everywhere with their Lord.

Taking the second prosphora in his hands, he takes out a particle from it in remembrance of the Most Holy Theotokos and puts it on the right side of the holy bread (on the left, as viewed from the priest), saying from David's psalm:

“The Queen appears at Your right hand, in robes gilded attire, beautifully decorated.” (I.e., “The Queen has become to your right, adorned and dressed in gilded clothes”).

Then he takes the third prosphora, in remembrance of the saints, and with the same spear takes out nine particles from it in three rows and puts them in the same order on the paten, to the left of the lamb, three in each: the first particle in the name of John the Baptist, the second in the name prophets, the third - in the name of the apostles, and this completes the first row and rank of saints.

Then he takes out the fourth particle in the name of the holy fathers, the fifth - in the name of the martyrs, the sixth - in the name of the venerable and God-bearing fathers and mothers, and this completes the second row and the rank of saints.

Then he takes out the seventh particle in the name of the unmercenary wonderworkers, the eighth in the name of the Godfathers Joachim and Anna and the saint glorified on this day, the ninth in the name of John Chrysostom or Basil the Great, depending on which of them celebrates the liturgy that day, and completes with this the third row and the rank of saints. And Christ appears among his closest ones, in the saints He who dwells is seen visibly among His saints - God among the gods, Man among men.

And, taking the fourth prosphora in his hands in commemoration of all the living, the priest takes out of it and puts particles on the holy diskos in the name of the synod and the patriarchs, in the name of the rulers, in the name of all Orthodox living everywhere, and, finally, in the name of each of them by name, whom wants to remember, or about whom they asked him to remember.

Then the priest takes the fifth prosphora, takes out particles from it in commemoration of all the dead, asking at the same time for the remission of their sins, starting from the patriarchs, kings, founders of the temple, the bishop who ordained him, if he is already among the deceased, and all Orthodox Christians, taking out in the name of everyone that he was asked about, or whom he himself wants to remember. In conclusion, he also asks for forgiveness for himself in everything and also takes out a particle for himself, and puts them all on a paten near the same holy bread at the bottom of it.

Thus, around this bread, this Lamb, representing Christ Himself, His whole church is gathered, both triumphant in heaven and militant here. The Son of Man appears among the people for whose sake He was incarnated and became a Man.

And, stepping back a little from the altar, the priest worships, as if he were worshiping the very incarnation of Christ, and welcomes the appearance of Heavenly Bread on earth in the form of bread lying on the paten, and greets him with incense, having first blessed the censer and reciting a prayer over it:

“We bring the censer to You, Christ our God, in the stench of the fragrance of the spiritual, hedgehog reception in Your most heavenly altar, grant us the grace of Your Most Holy Spirit.” (I.e., “We bring a censer to You, Christ our God, surrounded by spiritual fragrance, which you accept on Your heavenly altar and send down to us the grace of Your Most Holy Spirit.”)

The deacon says: “Let us pray to the Lord.”
And the whole thought of the priest is transferred at the time when the Nativity of Christ took place, returning the past to the present, and looks at this altar as at a mysterious den (i.e. cave), into which at that time the sky was transferred to earth: the sky became a den , and the nativity scene - the sky. Having circled an asterisk (two golden arcs with a star at the top), accompanying with the words:

“And when a star came, a hundred above, where there was a Child”; (i.e., “And having come, there was a star above, where the Servant was”), puts it on the paten, looking at it, as at a star that shone over the Infant; on holy bread, separated for sacrifice - as on a newborn Baby; on diskos - as on a manger where the Baby lay; on the covers - as on the linen that covered the Infant.

And, having circled the first veil, he covers the holy bread with diskos with it, pronouncing a psalm:

“The Lord reigns, clothed in splendor (beauty)”... and so on: Psalm 92, 1-6, in which the marvelous height of the Lord is sung.

And, having circled the second veil, he covers the holy cup with it, saying:
“The heavens are covered by Thy virtue, O Christ, and the earth is full of Thy praise”.

And then, taking a large cover (clothes), called holy air, he covers with it both the diskos and the cup together, crying out to God, let him cover us with the shelter of His wings.

And, stepping back a little from the altar, both, the priest and the deacon, worship the offered holy bread, as the shepherds and kings worshiped the newborn Infant, and the priest incense, as it were, in front of the den, symbolizing, or depicting by this incense, the fragrance of incense and myrrh, which were brought along with the gold by the wise men.

The deacon, as before, attentively co-presents with the priest, now pronouncing at every action, “Let us pray to the Lord,” now reminding him of the beginning of the action itself. Finally, he takes the censer from his hands and reminds him of the prayer that should be offered to the Lord about these gifts prepared for Him:

“For the offered honest (i.e., venerable, revered) gifts to the Lord, let us pray!”

And the priest begins to pray.
Although these gifts are no more than prepared only for the offering itself, but since from now on they can no longer be used for anything else, the priest reads for himself alone a prayer that precedes the acceptance of these gifts offered for the upcoming offering (given in Russian ):

“God, our God, who sent heavenly bread as food for the whole world, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, Savior, Redeemer and Benefactor, who blesses and sanctifies us, bless this offer yourself, and accept it on your most heavenly altar, remember how kind and philanthropic, those who offered, and for whom they offered, and keep us uncondemned in the sacred performance of Your divine mysteries. And loudly finishes: “As holy and glorified is your honorable and magnificent name, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.” (I.e., “Because Your all-honorable and majestic name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, abides in holiness and glory, now and always and forever and ever. Truly so.”)

And he creates, following the prayer, release (i.e., the end) of the proskomidia. The deacon censes the offer and then, cross-shaped, the holy meal (throne) and, thinking about the earthly birth of Him Who was born before all ages, being always present everywhere and everywhere, says in himself (given in Russian):

“You, Christ, filling everything, limitless, / were / in the tomb of the body, and in hell, like God, with the soul, and in paradise with the thief, and on the throne reigned with the Father and the Spirit”.

After that, the deacon leaves the altar with a censer to fill the whole church with fragrance and greet everyone who has gathered for the holy meal of love. This incense is always performed at the beginning of the service, as in the home life of all the ancients. Eastern peoples ablutions and incense were offered to every guest at the entrance. This custom passed entirely to this heavenly feast - to the Last Supper, which bears the name of the Liturgy, in which the service of God was so miraculously combined with a friendly treat for all, to which the Savior Himself showed an example, serving everyone and washing his feet.

Increasing and bowing to everyone equally, both to the rich and the poor, the deacon, as a servant of God, greets them all, as the most gracious guests of the Heavenly Host, incenses and worships at the same time the images of the saints, for they, too, are guests who have come to the Last Supper: in Christ all are alive and inseparable. Having prepared, filling the temple with fragrance, and then returning to the altar and dipping it again, the deacon gives the censer to the servant, approaches the priest, and both stand together before the holy throne.

Standing before the altar, the priest and deacon bow three times and, preparing to begin the liturgy, invoke the Holy Spirit, for all their service must be spiritual. The Spirit is the teacher and mentor of prayer: “We do not know what to pray for,” says the Apostle Paul, “but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed” (Romans 8:26). Praying the Holy Spirit to dwell in them and, having settled in, cleanse them for service, the priest twice utters the song with which the angels greeted the birth of Jesus Christ:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”.

Following this song, the church veil is pulled back, which opens only when it is necessary to raise the thoughts of those praying to higher, “higher” objects. Here, the opening of the heavenly doors signifies, following the song of the angels, that the Nativity of Christ was not revealed to everyone, that only the angels in heaven, Mary and Joseph, the wise men who came to worship, knew about it, and the prophets saw it from afar.

Priest and deacon say to themselves:
“Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim your praise”(i.e., “Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will praise You”), after which the priest kisses the gospel, the deacon kisses the holy altar and, bowing his head, recalls the beginning of the liturgy in this way: he raises the orarion with three fingers and pronounces :

“Time to create the Lord, lord bless ,
in response to which the priest blesses him with the words:
“Blessed be our God, always, now and forever, and forever and ever”.

The deacon, thinking about the ministry ahead of him, in which he should become like an angelic flight - from the throne to the people and from the people to the throne, gathering everyone into one soul, and being, so to speak, a holy stimulating force, and feeling his unworthiness for such a service - humbly prays to the priest:

“Pray for me, Vladyka!”
To which the priest replies:
“May the Lord correct your steps!”(i.e., “May the Lord guide your steps”).

The deacon asks again:
“Remember me, holy lord!”
And the priest answers:
“May the Lord God remember you in His kingdom, always, now and forever, and forever and ever”.

“Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim your praise,” after which, he loudly calls out to the priest:

“Bless, master!”

The priest proclaims from the depths of the altar:
“Blessed be the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever”
(blessed - worthy of praise).

The face (i.e. the choir) sings: “Amen” (i.e., truly so). This is the beginning of the second part of the liturgy, liturgy of the catechumens.

Having performed the proskomedia, the priest with outstretched hands prays to the Lord for the sending down of the Holy Spirit upon the clergy; that the Holy Spirit “descend and dwell in him,” and that the Lord would open their mouths to proclaim his praise.

Shouts of Priest and Deacon

The deacon, having received a blessing from the priest, leaves the altar, stands on the ambo and loudly says: “Bless the Master.” In response to the exclamation of the deacon, the priest proclaims: "Blessed be the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever."

Then the deacon pronounces the great litany.

Pictorial and festive antiphons

After the great litany, the “pictorial psalms of David” are sung - the 102nd “Bless the Lord, my soul ...”, the small litany is pronounced and then the 145th “Praise the Lord, my soul” is sung. They are called pictorial because they depict the blessings of God to mankind in the Old Testament .

On the Twelfth Feasts, pictorial antiphons are not sung, but instead of them, special “New Testament verses” are sung, in which blessings to the human race are depicted not in the Old, but in the New Testament. A refrain is added to each verse of the festive antiphons, depending on the nature of the holiday: on the day of the Nativity of Christ, the refrain: “Save us, Son of God, be born of the Virgin, sing to Ty: Alleluia (praise God. On the holidays of the Theotokos, the refrain is sung: “Save us, Son of God singing T. Alleluia with the prayers of the Theotokos.

Hymn "Only Begotten Son"

Whatever the Liturgy, that is, with the singing of “pictorial antiphons” or “festive ones,” they are always joined by the singing of the following solemn hymn, which recalls the main beneficence of the Lord to people: the sending down to earth of His Only Begotten Son (John III, 16 ), who was incarnated from the Most Holy Theotokos and defeated death with His Death.

The only-begotten Son and Word of God, immortal / and willing of our salvation for the sake of / be incarnated from the Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, / immutably * / incarnated, / crucified, Christ God, righting death by death, / One Holy Trinity, / glorified by the Father and Holy Spirit save us.

*/ “Irrevocably” means that in the person of Jesus Christ, no deity was added (and changed) into humanity; neither humanity has passed into divinity.

Only Begotten Son and Word of God! You, being immortal, and deigning for our salvation to be incarnated from the Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, having become a real person, without ceasing to be God, - You, Christ God, being crucified and correcting (crushing) death (that is, the devil) with Your Death, - You, as one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity, glorified along with the Father and the Holy Spirit - save us.

THE GOSPEL "BLESSES AND THE TROPARI ARE BLESSED"

But the true Christian life consists not only in feelings and indefinite impulses, but must be expressed in good deeds and deeds (Matt. VIII, 21). Therefore, the Holy Church offers to the attention of those who pray the Gospel beatitudes.

Small entrance with the Gospel

During the reading or singing of the Gospel beatitudes, the royal doors open, the priest takes from St. Throne Gospel, hands his deacon and leaves the altar with the deacon. This exit of the clergy with the Gospel is called the “little entrance” and signifies the appearance of the Savior to preach.

Currently, this output has only symbolic meaning, but in the early days of Christianity it was necessary. In the primordial church, the Gospel was kept not on the altar on the throne, as it is now, but near the altar, in a side room, which was called either the “deaconess” or the “vessel-keeper”. When the time came to read the Gospel, the clergy carried it solemnly to the altar.

When approaching the northern doors, the deacon, with the words “Let us pray to the Lord,” invites everyone to pray to the Lord who is coming to us. The priest secretly reads a prayer, with a request that the Lord make their entrance - the entrance of the Saints, would deign to send Angels for a worthy service to Him, and thus would arrange here, as it were, a heavenly ministry. That is why further, blessing the entrance, the priest says: "Blessed is the entrance of Thy Saints," and the deacon, holding up the Gospel, proclaims, "Wisdom forgive."

Believers, looking at the Gospel as at Jesus Christ Himself going to preach, exclaim: “Come, let us worship and fall down to Christ, Save us. Son of God, resurrected from the dead, (or by the prayers of the Mother of God, or in the Saints wondrous), sing to Ty: alleluia.

Troparion and kontakion singing

To the singing: “Come, let us worship…” the singing of the daily troparion and kontakion for. images of memories for this day and those saints who, fulfilling the commandments of Christ, themselves receive blessedness in heaven and serve as an example for others.

Entering the altar, the priest in secret prayer asks the “Heavenly Father”, sung by the Cherubim and Seraphim, to accept from us, the humble and unworthy, the thrice-sacred song, to forgive sins, voluntary and involuntary, to sanctify us and give us the strength to serve Him flawlessly and righteously until the end of our lives” .

The end of this prayer: “For Thou art holy, our God, and to Thee we send glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever,” the priest pronounces loudly. The deacon, standing in front of the icon of the Savior, proclaims: "Lord, save the pious and hear us." Then, standing in the middle of the Royal Doors, facing the people, he proclaims: “Forever and ever,” that is, he ends the exclamation of the priest and at the same time points to the people with an orarion.

The believers then sing "The Trisagion" - "Holy God". On some holidays, the Trisagion Hymn is replaced by others. For example, on Easter, Trinity Day, on the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany, on Saturday Lazarus and Great, it is sung:

“You who are baptized into Christ, put on Christ, hallelujah.”

Those who were baptized in the name of Christ are in Christ and clothed with the grace of Christ. Alleluia.

The prayer "Holy God" should now arouse feelings of repentance for one's sins and turning to God for mercy.

At the end of the Trisagion Hymn, there is a reading of the apostle; "Prokeimenon" which is read by the psalmist and sung 2 and a half times by the choristers.

During the reading of the Apostle, the deacon performs incense, which means the grace of the Holy Spirit.

After reading the Apostle, “Alleluia” is sung (three times) and the gospel is read. Before the Gospel and after it, “Glory to Thee, Lord, Glory to Thee” is sung as a sign of thanksgiving to the Lord, who gave us the Gospel teaching. Both the Epistles of the Apostles and the Gospel are read to clarify the Christian faith and morality.

After the gospel profane litany. Then follows triple litany for the dead, litany for the catechumens and, finally, a litany with a command to the catechumens to leave the temple.

In the litanies for the catechumens, the deacon prays on behalf of all people that the Lord would enlighten the catechumens with the word of the Gospel truth, honor them with Holy Baptism and join them to the Holy Church.

Simultaneously with the deacon, the priest reads a prayer in which he asks that the Lord “on the high living” and paying attention to the humble, would look down on His servants who were catechumens, would vouchsafe them the “baths of resurrection”, that is, Holy Baptism, clothes of incorruption and would unite the Holy Church. Then, as if continuing the thoughts of this prayer, the priest says an exclamation:

“Yes, and these with us glorify Thy most honorable and magnificent Name, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever.”

So that those (that is, the catechumens) together with us glorify, Lord, Your Most Pure and Majestic Name - the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever.

Undoubtedly, prayers for the catechumens also apply to those who were baptized, because we who were baptized very often sin without repentance, we do not clearly know our Orthodox faith and by being present in the church without proper reverence. At present, there may also be truly catechumens, that is, those who are preparing for Holy Baptism from among foreigners.

Litany for the Departure of the Catechumens

At the end of the prayer for the catechumens, the deacon pronounces the litany: exit the announcement; Celebrations of the catechumens, come out, but no one from the catechumens, angels of faith, more and more, let us pray to the Lord in peace. With these words the Liturgy of the catechumens ends.

Scheme or order of the Liturgy of the catechumens

The liturgy of the catechumens contains the following parts:

1. The initial exclamations of the deacon and the priest.

2. Great litany.

3. Psalm 1st pictorial “Bless the Lord, my soul” (102) or the first antiphon.

4. Small litany.

5. The second pictorial psalm (145) - “Praise the Lord, my soul” or the second antiphon.

6. Singing the hymn “Only Begotten Son and Word of God”.

7. Small litany.

8. The singing of the Gospel beatitudes and the troparia are “blessed” (third antiphon).

9. Small entrance with the Gospel.

10. Singing "Come let's worship."

11. Singing the troparion and kontakion.

12. The exclamation of the deacon: "Lord, save the pious."

13. Singing of the Trisagion.

14. Singing "prokimen".

15. Reading the Apostle.

16. Reading the Gospel.

17. A special litany.

18. Litany for the dead.

19. Litany for the catechumens.

20. Litany with the command to the catechumens to leave the temple.

The third part of the Liturgy is called the Liturgy of the Faithful, because in ancient times only the faithful, that is, those who had converted to Christ and were baptized, could be present during its celebration.

At the Liturgy of the Faithful, the most important sacred actions are performed, the preparation for which is not only the first two parts of the Liturgy, but also all other church services. Firstly, the mysteriously gracious, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Transfiguration or Transubstantiation of bread and wine into the true Body and Blood of the Savior, and secondly, the communion of believers in the Body and Blood of the Lord, leading into union with the Savior, according to His words: flesh and drink My Blood abides in Me and I in him.” (John VI, 56).

Gradually and consistently, in a series of significant actions and deeply meaningful prayers, the meaning and significance of these two liturgical moments is revealed.

Abridged Great Litany.

When the Liturgy of the catechumens ends, the deacon pronounces an abbreviated great litany. The priest secretly reads a prayer, with a request to the Lord to cleanse those praying from spiritual impurity, so that, having received the success of a good life and spiritual understanding, they stand before the Throne with dignity, without guilt and condemnation, and in order to partake of the Holy Mysteries without condemnation in order to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. At the end of his prayer, the priest speaks loudly.

As if we always keep under Your power, we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever,

So that, always preserved by Your, Lord, guidance (power), we send glory to You to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit at all times, now and forever, and forever and ever.

With this exclamation, the priest expresses that only under the guidance, under the control of the Sovereign Lord, can we save our spiritual being from evil and sin.

Then the Royal Doors are opened in order to bring the prepared substance for the Holy Eucharist through them from the altar to the Throne. The transfer of the substance prepared for the performance of the Sacrament from the altar to the throne is called the “GREAT ENTRY” in contrast to the “Little Entrance”.

The historical origin of the Great Entrance corresponds to the origin of the Small Entrance. As has been said repeatedly, in ancient times two side compartments (apses) were arranged near the altar. In one section (called the Deaconnik or the Vessel) the sacred vessels, clothes and books, including the Gospel, were kept. The other section (called the Offering) was intended to receive offerings (bread, wine, oil and incense), from which the necessary part was separated for the Eucharist.

When the reading of the Gospel was approaching, the deacons went to the Reservoir or Diakonnik and brought the Gospel to be read in the midst of the Church. In the same way, before the consecration of the Holy Gifts, the deacons from the Offering brought the Gifts to the Throne to the performer of the Liturgy. Thus, in ancient times, the transfer of bread and wine was practically necessary, because the altar was not in the altar, as it is now, but in an independent part of the temple.

Now the Great Entrance has a more allegorical meaning, depicting the procession of Jesus Christ to free Suffering.

Cherubic Hymn

The deep mysterious significance of the Great Entrance, all those thoughts and feelings that it should arouse in the hearts of those who pray, are depicted by the following prayer, called the “Cherubic Hymn”.

Even the cherubim secretly forming, and to the life-giving Trinity sing the thrice-holy song, now let us lay aside all worldly care. As if we would raise the King of all, chinmi is invisibly dorinosima angelic. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

We, who mysteriously depict cherubim and sing the life-giving Trinity the thrice-holy song, now put aside all worldly cares in order to raise the King of all, Who is invisibly and solemnly accompanied by angelic ranks with the singing of "Alleluia".

Although the Cherubic Hymn is usually divided into two parts by the Great Entrance, in fact it represents one harmonious connected prayer, so integral that not a single dot can be placed along its entire length.

With this song, the Holy Church makes, as it were, such an appeal: “We, who at the moment of transferring the Holy Gifts mysteriously resemble cherubim and together with them sing the “Thrisagion Hymn” to the Holy Trinity, in these moments will leave all earthly worries, everything worldly, sinful care, - let us be renewed, cleansed of the soul, so that we raise The King of glory, Whom the Angelic armies raise invisibly at the present moment - (just as in ancient times the warriors raised their king on the shields) and sing hymns, and then reverently to accept, take communion."

During the singing of the first part of the Cherubic Hymn by the singers, the priest secretly reads a prayer in which he asks the Lord to grant him worthy to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. This prayer expresses the idea that Jesus Christ is at the same time both the offered Being, like the Holy Lamb, and the offering Maker of the sacrifice, like the Heavenly High Priest.

After reading then three times with outstretched hands crosswise (as a sign of intensified prayer), the prayer “Like Cherubim”, the priest, together with the deacon, goes to the altar. Here, having shaken the Holy Gifts, the priest puts on the left shoulder of the deacon the “air” that covered the diskos and the chalice, and on the head - the diskos; he himself takes the Holy Chalice, and both go out together through the northern doors, bringing a candlestick.

Great Entrance(transferring the prepared Gifts).

Stopping on the salt, facing the people, they prayerfully commemorate the local Bishop and all Orthodox Christians, “may the Lord God remember them in His Kingdom.” Then the priest and deacon return to the altar through the Royal Doors.

The singers begin to sing the second part Cherubic Song:"Like a King."

Upon entering the altar, the priest places the Holy chalice and diskos on the Throne, removing the covers from the diskos and bowl, but covering them with one “air”, which is first burnt with incense. Then the Royal Doors are closed and the veil is drawn.

During the Great Entrance, Christians stand with bowed heads, expressing respect for the Gifts they endure and asking that the Lord remember them in His Kingdom. The setting of the diskos and the Holy Chalice on the throne and covering them with air signifies the transfer of the body of Jesus Christ for burial, which is why those prayers are read at the same time that are sung when the shroud is taken out on Good Friday (“Noble Joseph”, etc.)

First Litany of Prayer
(preparation of those praying for the consecration of the Gifts)

After the transfer of the Holy Gifts, the preparation of the clergy for the worthy consecration of the Holy Gifts by the power of the Holy Spirit begins, and the faithful for a worthy presence at this consecration. First, a petitionary litany is read, in which, in addition to ordinary prayers, a petition is added.

For the offered Honest Gifts, let us pray to the Lord.

For the Holy Gifts set on the Throne and offered, let us pray to the Lord.

During the 1st litany of supplication, the priest secretly reads a prayer in which he asks the Lord to make him worthy to bring the Holy Gifts, a spiritual sacrifice for our sins of ignorance, and to instill the Spirit of grace in us and in these present Gifts. The prayer ends with the exclamation:

By the bounties of Thy Only Begotten Son, blessed be Thou with Him, with Thy most holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever.

By the grace of Your Only Begotten Son, with whom You are glorified, with the most holy, good, life-giving Holy Spirit, at all times.

With the words of this exclamation, the Holy Church expresses the idea that it is possible to hope to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit for the sanctification of the clergy who pray and the honest Gifts presented by virtue of “generosity”, that is, the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Deacon's Instillation of Peace and Love

After a petitionary litany and an exclamation, the priest points out the necessary condition for receiving grace with the words: “peace to all”; those present answer: “and to your spirit”, and the deacon continues: “let us love one another, but with one mind of confession ...” This means that the necessary conditions for communion with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and for receiving the Holy Spirit are: peace and love for each other.

Then the singers sing: "Father and Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible." These words are a continuation of the exclamation of the deacon and are closely connected with it. After the words “Unanimity in confession,” the question involuntarily arises of whom we will unanimously confess. Answer: "The Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible."

Symbol of faith

Before the next moment - the confession of the Creed, the deacon proclaims: "Doors, doors, let us be attentive with wisdom." The exclamation: “Doors, doors” in the Christian Church in ancient times referred to the forerunners of the temple, so that they carefully watched the doors, so that at that time one of the catechumens or penitents, or in general from persons who did not have the right to be present at the performance of the Sacrament, would enter Communion.

And the words “behold wisdom” referred to those standing in the temple, so that they would block the doors of their souls from worldly sinful thoughts. The Creed is sung to testify before God and the Church that all who stand in the temple are the faithful, who have the right to attend the Liturgy and proceed to Communion of the Holy Mysteries.

During the singing of the Creed, the veil of the Royal Doors opens as a sign that only under the condition of faith can the Throne of Grace be opened for us, from where we receive the Holy Sacraments. During the singing of the Creed, the priest takes the “air” cover, and shakes the air with it over the Holy Gifts, that is, lowers and raises the cover over them. This breath of air signifies the overshadowing of the Holy Gifts by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. Then the Church leads the worshipers to prayerful contemplation of the Sacrament itself. The most important moment of the Liturgy begins - the consecration of the Holy Gifts.

A New Invitation for Deacons to Worthy Standing

Once again urging the faithful to stand in the church with complete reverence, the deacon says: “Let us become kind, stand with fear, pay attention, bring the holy offering in the world,” that is, we will stand well, decorously, with reverence and attention, so that in peace of mind we offer the holy ascension.

The believers answer: “The mercy of the world, the sacrifice of praise,” that is, we will bring that holy offering, that bloodless sacrifice, which is mercy on the part of the Lord, is a gift of His mercy, given to us, people, as a sign of the reconciliation of the Lord with us, and from the side us (people) is a laudatory sacrifice to the Lord God for all His good deeds.

Having listened to the readiness of the faithful to turn to the Lord, the priest blesses them with the name of the Most Holy Trinity: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love (love) of God and the Father, and the communion (i.e., communion) of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” The chanters, expressing the same feelings to the priest, answer: “And with your spirit.”

The priest continues: “Woe is our hearts” (Let us direct our hearts upward, to heaven, to the Lord).

The chanters, on behalf of the worshipers, answer: “Imams to the Lord,” that is, we really lifted up our hearts to the Lord and prepared for the Great Sacrament.

Having prepared himself and the faithful for a worthy stand during the celebration of the Holy Sacrament, the priest proceeds to perform it itself. Following the example of Jesus Christ, who gave thanks to God the Father before breaking bread at the Last Supper, the priest invites all believers to give thanks to the Lord with the exclamation: “We give thanks to the Lord.”

The chanters begin to sing “worthily” and eat righteously to bow to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible.

To announce to those who are not present in the Temple about the approach of the most important moment of the Liturgy, there is the Blagovest, called the ringing to “Worthy”.

Eucharistic Prayer

At this time, the priest secretly reads a thanksgiving (Eucharistic) prayer, which is one inseparable whole, right up to the singing of a laudatory prayer in honor of the Mother of God (“It is worthy to eat, as truly”) and is divided into three parts.

In the first part of the Eucharistic Prayer, all the blessings of God are remembered, revealed to people from their creation, for example: a) the creation of the world and people, and b) their restoration through Jesus Christ and other blessings.

As a special beneficence, the service of the Liturgy in general and the celebration of the service in particular, which the Lord deigned to accept, are indicated, despite the fact that at that moment archangels and thousands of angels are coming to Him in heaven, singing and crying out, calling out and saying the song of victory: “Holy, Holy Holy, Lord of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.”

Thus, the exclamation of the priest /"singing the song of victory, crying out, crying out and speaking"/, which is heard before singing "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of hosts ..." directly adjoins the First Part of the Eucharistic Prayer.

The last words of the prayer, preceding the exclamation of the priest, are read as follows:

We thank Thee and for this service, even from the hands of our acceptance, thou hast deigned, thousands of Archangels, and thousands of Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, towering feathers, singing a victorious song, crying out, crying out and saying: Holy, Holy ; Holy, Lord of Hosts, heaven and earth are filled with Thy glory: Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.

We thank You for this service, which You have made me worthy to accept from our hands, although You will have thousands of Archangels and a host of Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged and many-eyed, exalted, winged, singing a victorious song, exclaiming, calling out, and saying: “Holy is the Lord of Hosts ( God of hosts), heaven and earth are full of thy glory”, “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest.”

While the kliros is singing “Holy, Holy…”, the priest starts reading second part The Eucharistic Prayer, in which, after praising all the persons of the Holy Trinity, and separately the Son of God the Redeemer, it is remembered how the Lord Jesus Christ established the Sacrament of Communion.

The establishment of the Sacrament of Communion in the Eucharistic prayer is conveyed in the following words: into His holy and pure and immaculate hands, giving thanks and blessing, sanctifying, breaking, giving to His Disciple and Apostle, the rivers: “Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins”;

likeness and cup at supper, verb; “Drink of it all, this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.” Remembering, therefore, this saving commandment, and all that was about us: the cross, the tomb, the three-day resurrection, ascent to heaven, sitting on the right hand, the second and like the coming, - Yours from Yours brings You * /, about all and for everything. We sing to you, we bless you, we thank you, O Lord, and we pray to you, our God…”

* / In Greek words: “Your from Yours, bringing you about all and for all” - they mean: “Your gifts: bread and wine - we bring you, Lord, due to all the motives set forth in the prayer; according to to all the order indicated (by Jesus Christ) (Luke XXII / 19) and in gratitude for all beneficence.

Consecration or Transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts

While the last words of the Eucharistic Prayer (We sing to You...) are sung by choristers on the kliros, the priest reads third part this prayer:

“We also offer this verbal * / this and bloodless service, and we ask, and we pray, and have mercy on us ** /, send down Your Holy Spirit on us, and on this Gift that is presented.”

*/ The “verbal service” is called the Eucharist, in contrast to the “active” service (through prayer and good deeds), because the change of the Holy Gifts is beyond human strength, but is performed by the grace of the Holy Spirit and the priest prays, uttering perfect words.

**/ We make ourselves “nice”, pleasing to God; we pray fervently.

Then the priest says three times a prayer to the Most Holy Spirit (Lord, who is Your Most Holy Spirit) and then the words: “And make this bread, O Honorable Body of Your Christ.” "Amen". "And hedgehog in this cup, the Precious Blood of Thy Christ." "Amen". “Changing by Your Holy Spirit. Amen, Amen

So, the Eucharistic prayer is divided into three parts: thanksgiving, historical and petitionary.

HERE IS THE MAIN AND HOLY MOMENT OF THE LITURGY. AT THIS TIME BREAD AND WINE ARE OFFERED INTO THE TRUE BODY AND TRUE BLOOD OF THE SAVIOR. THE PRIESTS AND ALL PRESENT IN THE TEMPLE, IN REPENTIVE REPRESENTATION, BOW TO THE EARTH BEFORE THE HOLY GIFTS.

The Eucharist is a thankful sacrifice to God for the living and the dead, and after the consecration of the Holy Gifts, the priest commemorates those for whom this sacrifice was made, and above all the saints, because in the person of the saints and through the saints, the Holy Church fulfills her cherished desire - the Kingdom of Heaven.

Glorification of the Mother of God

But from a host or a number (pretty much) all saints - the Mother of God stands out; and therefore the exclamation is heard: “Fairly about the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.”

This is answered with a laudatory song in honor of the Mother of God: “It is worthy to eat ...” On the twelfth holidays, instead of “Worthy”, Irmos 9 of the song of the Canon is sung. The irmos also speaks of the Most Holy Theotokos, and it is called the “Worthy”.

Commemoration of the living and the dead (“and everyone and everything”)

The clergyman continues to secretly pray: 1) for all the dead and 2) for the living - bishops, presbyters, deacons and for all Orthodox Christians "in purity and honest living"; per established authorities, and the army, for the local Bishop, to which the believers answer: "And everyone and everything."

Instillation by the priest of peace and unanimity

Then the priest prays for our city and those who live in it. Remembering the heavenly Church, which unanimously glorified God, he inspires unanimity and peace also in the earthly Church, declaring: forever and ever."

2nd supplicatory litany
(Preparing those praying for communion)

Then, after blessing the believers with the words: “And may the mercies of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you all,” the preparation of the faithful for Communion begins: the second petitionary litany is read, to which petitions are added: For the Holy Gifts brought and consecrated, let us pray to the Lord...

As if our God, philanthropist, I accept (them) in the holy, and my heavenly mental altar, in the stench of spiritual fragrance, will send us Divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, let us pray.

Let us pray that our God, loving mankind, having received them (the Holy Gifts) on His holy heavenly, spiritually presented His altar, as a spiritual fragrance, as a sacrifice pleasing to Him from us, would give us Divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

During the second petitionary litany, the priest in secret prayer asks the Lord to deign us to partake of the Holy Mysteries, this sacred and spiritual meal for the forgiveness of sins and for the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Lord's Prayer

After the litanies, after the exclamation of the priest: “And vouchsafe us, Vladyka, with boldness, without condemnation, dare to call on Thee, the heavenly God the Father, and speak,” the singing of the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father,” follows.

At this time, the deacon, standing in front of the Royal Doors, girds himself crosswise with an orarion in order to: 1) serve the priest during Communion freely, without fear of the fall of the orari, and 2) To express his reverence for the Holy Gifts by imitating the Seraphim, who, surrounding the Throne of God covered their faces with their wings (Isaiah 6:2-3).

Then the priest gives peace to the faithful, and when they, at the call of the deacon, bow their heads, secretly prays to the Lord to sanctify them and make them worthy to partake of the Holy Mysteries without condemnation.

Ascension of the Holy Gifts

After this, the priest, reverently raised the Holy Lamb over the paten, proclaims: "Holy to the Holy." The meaning is that the Holy Gifts can only be given to saints. Believers, realizing their sinfulness and unworthiness before God, respond with humility: “One is Holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ to the glory (to the glory) of God the Father. Amen".

Communion of the clergy and the "communion verse"

Then the Communion of the clergy takes place, who partake of the Body and Blood separately, imitating the Holy Apostles and leading Christians. During the Communion of the clergy, for the spiritual edification of the faithful, prayers are sung, called "communion verses."

The penultimate apparition of the Holy Gifts and communion of the laity

Upon the Communion of the clergy, the Royal Doors are opened for Communion of the laity. The opening of the Royal Doors marks the opening of the tomb of the Savior, and the removal of the Holy Gifts marks the appearance of Jesus Christ after the resurrection.

After the exclamation of the deacon: “Come with the fear of God and faith”, and the singing of the verse “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”, “God the Lord has appeared to us”, the priest reads prayer before communion and joins the laity with the Body and Blood of the Savior.

Prayer before Communion
St. John Chrysostom

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 precious BLOOD.

I pray to Thee: have mercy on me and forgive my transgressions, free and involuntary, even in word, even in deed, even in knowledge and ignorance, and make me unjudgmentally partake of Your most pure Mysteries, for the remission of sins and eternal life. Amen.

Thy secret supper this day, Son of God, accept me as a partaker: we will not sing a secret to Thy enemy, nor will I kiss Thee, like Judas, but like a thief I will confess Thee: remember me, Lord, in Thy kingdom. - May the communion of Your holy Mysteries, Lord, not be for judgment or condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body. Amen.

The exclamation "Save, O God, Thy people" and
“We have seen the true light”

During communion, a well-known verse is sung: “Receive the body of Christ, taste the immortal Source.” After Communion, the priest puts the particles taken out (from the prosphora) into the Holy Chalice, makes them drunk with the Holy Blood, which means cleansing them from sins through the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and then blesses everyone, saying: “Save God, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance” .

The singers are responsible for the people:

We saw the true light, / by receiving the Spirit of heaven / we gained the true faith, / we worship the indivisible Trinity, / She saved us there /.

We, having seen the true light and received the Spirit of heaven, have found the true faith, we worship the Indivisible Trinity, because She saved us.

The last appearance of the Holy Gifts and the song “Let our lips be fulfilled”

During this, the priest secretly reads the verse “Ascend into heaven, O God, and throughout all the earth is Your glory”, indicating that the transfer of the Holy Gifts to the altar marks the Ascension of the Lord.

The deacon transfers the Diskos on the head to the altar, while the priest, confessing secretly: “Blessed is our God”, blesses those who pray with the Holy Chalice and says aloud: “Always, now and ever and forever and ever.”

Seeing the Savior ascending, the Apostles bowed to Him and praised the Lord. Christians do the same, singing the following song during the transfer of the Gifts:

May our lips be filled / Your praise, O Lord, / as if we sing Your glory, / as if Thou hast vouchsafed us to partake / of Your Holy, Divine, Immortal and Life-Giving Mysteries: / Keep us in Your Holiness, / learn Your truth all day. / Hallelujah , Alleluia, Alleluia /.

Lord, let our lips be full of praise to You, so that we may sing of Your glory for the fact that You have made us worthy to partake of Your Holy, Divine, immortal and life-giving Mysteries. Keep us worthy of Your holiness / help us to keep the holiness received in Communion / so that we can learn Your righteousness all day long / live righteously, according to Your commandments /, alleluia.

Thanksgiving for Communion

When the Holy Gifts are transferred to the altar, the deacon censes, marking with incense the bright cloud that hid the ascending Christ from the gaze of the disciples (Acts 1, 9).

The same grateful thoughts and feelings are proclaimed in the subsequent litany, which reads as follows: “Forgive me for receiving (i.e., direct - having accepted with reverence) the Divine, Holy, Most Pure, Immortal, Heavenly and Life-Giving Terrible Mysteries of Christ, worthy of thanks to the Lord”, “ Intercede, save, have mercy and save us, O God, by Your Grace.”

The last petition of the litany: “The whole day is perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, having asked, to ourselves, and to each other, and our whole life, let us commit to Christ our God.”

During this litany, the priest rolls up the antimension and, depicting the cross over the antimension with the Holy Gospel, says: “For Thou art our sanctification, and to Thee we send glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever.”

The Divine Liturgy ends with the transfer of the Holy Gifts to the altar and the litany. Then the priest, addressing the believers, says: “We will go out in peace,” that is, we will leave the temple peacefully, in peace with everyone. Believers answer: “On the name of the Lord”, (ie, remembering the name of the Lord) “Lord have mercy”.

Prayer beyond the ambo

After that, the priest leaves the altar and, descending from the pulpit to where the people are standing, reads a prayer called “Zambonnaya”. In the prayer beyond the ambo, the priest once again asks the Creator to save His people and bless His property, to sanctify those who love the splendor (beauty) of the temple, to grant peace to the world, churches, priests, troops and all people.

The content of the Prayer beyond the ambo is an abbreviation of all the litanies that were read by the faithful during the Divine Liturgy.

“Be the Name of the Lord” and Psalm 33

At the end of the prayer beyond the ambo, believers commit themselves to the will of God with the words: “Be the Name of the Lord blessed from now on and forever,” and a thanksgiving psalm (33 psalm) is also read: “I will bless the Lord at all times.”

(At the same time, “antidor” or the remnants of the prosphora from which the Lamb was taken out are sometimes distributed to those present, so that those who did not proceed to Communion would taste from the grains left over from the Mystical meal).

Priest's Last Blessing

After Psalm 33, the priest blesses the people for the last time, saying: “The blessing of the Lord is upon you, by His grace and love of mankind, always now and forever and forever and ever.”

Finally, facing the people, the priest makes a dismissal, in which he asks the Lord that He, as good and philanthropic, at the intercession of His Most Pure Mother and all the Saints, save and have mercy on us. Prayers venerate the cross.

Scheme or Order of the Liturgy of the Faithful

The Liturgy of the Faithful consists of the following parts:

1. Abridged Great Litany.

2. Singing the 1st part of the “Cherubic Hymn” and reading the Great Entrance Prayer by the priest.”

3. Great entrance and transfer of the Holy Gifts.

4. Singing of the 2nd part of the “Cherubic Hymn” and placing the Holy Vessels on the Throne.

5. The first petitionary litany (about the “honest gifts offered”): the preparation of those praying for the consecration of the Gifts.

6. Suggestion deacon peace, love and unity.

7. Singing the Creed. (“Doors, doors, let us pay attention in wisdom”).

8. A new invitation to those praying to worthy standing, (“let us become good ...”)

9. Eucharistic prayer (Three parts).

10. Consecration of the Holy Gifts (during singing; “We will sing to you…”)

11. Glorification of the Mother of God (“It is worthy to eat ...”)

12. Commemoration of the living and the dead (and “everyone and everything…”)

13. Suggestion priest peace, love and unity.

14. The second petitionary litany (on the consecrated honest Darechs): preparation of those praying for communion.

15. Singing the "Lord's Prayer".

16. Offering of the Holy Gifts (“Holy to the Holy…”)

17. Communion of the clergy and the "communion" verse.

18. Penultimate apparition of the Holy Gifts and Communion of the laity.

19. The exclamation “God save Thy people” and “We have seen the True Light”.

20. The last appearance of the Holy Gifts and "Let our mouth be filled."

21. Thanksgiving Litany for Communion.

22. Prayer behind the ambo.

23. "Be the Name of the Lord" and the 33rd psalm.

24. The last blessing of the priest.

The main church service in the Orthodox Church is Divine Liturgy. Our ancestors knew very well what it was, however, they called it mass. Catholics call it the Mass.

The origins of this worship go back to early Christianity. Much time has passed since then, the church itself has undergone external changes, but the basis of the liturgy and its symbolism have remained the same.

Development of Christian Worship

The tradition of worship dates back to the Old Testament times. That is how it was perceived by the first Christians, who in the eyes of society were considered a Jewish sect. This was understandable - the Holy Apostles came from Palestine, received a Jewish upbringing and followed the precepts of their ancestors.

But it was then, in the years of the first sermons reflected in the Acts of the Apostles, that the history of the modern service begins.

Sermon and Eucharist

The followers of the teachings of Christ were far from being in a privileged position in the Roman Empire. They were the object of persecution, so their meetings were held in secret. For meetings, someone's house or even a cemetery was chosen, the latter gave temporary immunity to those located on it according to Roman laws.

At first, Christians living in Palestine freely visited the Temple in Jerusalem. This practice was discontinued after the Jewish War, when Jerusalem was destroyed by Roman troops, and a final break occurred between Jews and Christians.

The apostles Paul and Barnabas during their missions came to the conclusion that converted Gentiles should not be persuaded to keep the Law of Moses. This applied both to daily life and worship. The apostles believed that the new teaching was intended for all people, regardless of their origin. In principle, it could not fit into the framework of Judaism and the Temple, but it was not necessary. It was believed that it was possible to serve the Lord all over the world.

The first services consisted of reading psalms, prayers, a sermon, and a remembrance of the Last Supper. The latter is the most important - it was a recollection of the events that preceded the execution of Christ. It was accompanied by the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine, which symbolized the body and blood of the Lord. This would later become a sacrament called the Eucharist.

And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to them, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them: and they all drank from it. And he said to them: This is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many.

The Gospel of Luke also mentions the continuation of his words - “ do this in remembrance of me».

Since then, partaking of the body and blood of Christ has been an integral part of worship.

Development in the first centuries

Spreading across the Mediterranean, Christianity increasingly acquired the features of a universal doctrine. This was facilitated by Greek philosophy, which organically entered the theological works of the apologists.

The liturgical rite also acquires Hellenic features. For example, the choral singing that accompanies the service comes from the Balkans. Gradually, a group of ministers of the Church is singled out, and the continuity of ordination is observed. Despite the fact that the rite in its key features followed the service in the Jerusalem Temple, a different meaning was put into it. Important differences between Christian worship and Jewish worship are the following:

1. rejection of the bloody sacrifice - although the altar is present;
2. the availability of ordination for any Christian, and not for the descendants of Aaron;
3. the place of service can be the whole world;
4. the time frame of the service expanded - Christians prayed at night as well.

This attitude towards service was not accidental. A Jew was considered righteous insofar as he kept the Law of Moses and was faithful to its letter. The Christian did not follow the letter, but the spirit, and faith itself was more important to him.

After the legalization of the doctrine under Constantine the Great, church buildings were donated to Christians, and worship begins to develop in a modern direction. There is a service by the hour, the list of sacraments is approved, the requirements are systematized - Baptism, Wedding, Anointing, enters into practice on the eve of Easter. But the central sacrament remains the Eucharist, which has become the basis of the Divine Liturgy.

Structure and practice of services

In order to have an idea of ​​the principle on which the schedule of services is built, it is worth remembering that it has its origins in the Old Testament, and the days in the Church are calculated a little differently. They start at 6 pm, not at midnight.

The concept of liturgical hours

Hours in worship is called prayer associated with a specific time of day. In the temple, it takes about fifteen minutes and is designed to tear the worshiper's attention away from everyday worries. This practice dates back to antiquity: it is known that the apostles prayed at the hours set for this.

The daily cycle of worship can be represented as follows:

The word "guard" was used in ancient Israel - according to this schedule, the guards at settlements. Time was then determined by the position of the sun above the horizon, but in modern practice, ordinary watches are more often used.

Between the prayers, dedicated to the time, one or another divine service is performed.

Daily services and their names

Conventionally, all services in the church can be divided into:

1. evening;
2. morning;
3. daily.

The first includes Vespers and Compline. Vespers begins at 17:00, that is, one hour before the start of a new day. Accordingly, Compline is held from 21:00. Midnight Office and Matins are considered night, and they end with the prayer of the first hour, performed at 7 in the morning. The daily prayer is read at 9, 12 and 15 hours (they are called, respectively, the Third, Sixth and Ninth hours).

Liturgy was originally held before Vespers - in early Christianity this was a common practice, as were night services. At a later time, it was moved to the morning, and now it runs from 9 to noon. There is no strict resolution on this matter, therefore, in order to find out when the liturgy is served in a particular church, it is better to look at the schedule of services.

Depending on fasts, holidays and special dates, services may differ. So, before Easter, an all-night vigil takes place, combining Vespers, Compline and Midnight Office.

Liturgy is not held on some days - for example, on Good Friday. Instead, pictorial ones are read - a service in which liturgical chants are repeated, but the sacrament of the Eucharist is not performed.

Content and sequence of the liturgy

Unlike the evening and night services, the liturgy is performed almost daily, with the exception of some days of Great and Christmas Lent, Wednesday and Friday of Cheese Week (the week before Great Lent) and a number of other days.

Observance of the sacrament of the Eucharist

During this service, the whole life of Christ is remembered, from Christmas to death on the cross. It is divided into three parts, each of which is served by a special rank:

1. Proskomedia.
2. Liturgy of the catechumens.
3. Liturgy of the Faithful.

In the first part, the priest for behind closed doors the altar prepares bread and wine for Communion, reads prayers for the health and repose of the members of the Church. This prayer is worth doing for parishioners as well. When the preparation is over, the reading of the Third and Sixth Hours takes place, at which the Nativity of Christ and the prophecies about it are remembered.

Some mistakenly believe that the first part is a kind of liturgy about health. What this is is not entirely clear: during the preparation of the Gifts, prayers are read for both health and repose, the memory of saints, prophets and apostles is honored.

The liturgy of the catechumens is called upon to prepare those praying for the sacrament. It is named so because in ancient times people who did not accept Baptism, but were preparing for it, went to it. They were called catechumens.

It begins with the antiphonal singing of the hymn "Only Begotten Son". Then comes the small entrance with the Gospel, followed by singing and reading. The singing of psalms, called the prokimen, precedes the reading of the Apostle, after which comes the Sermon. Alternating with verses from the Psalter stands before the reading of the Gospel. This is followed by a sermon again.

This part of the liturgy ends with a litany - a prayer petition performed by the priest and the choir. This is a recognizable part of the service - for each verse read by the priest, the choir responds by singing "Lord, have mercy", "You, Lord" or "Amen". Parishioners at this time overshadow themselves with the sign of the cross.

In ancient times, after this, the catechumens left, and the doors of the temple were closed to continue. Now they do not do this, but the unbaptized do not take part in the further service.

The Liturgy of the Faithful begins with the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, during which the Great Entrance takes place. The Royal Doors of the altar open, the deacon walks around the throne, the altar, the iconostasis, the priest, the people with a censer. At the same time, he reads Psalm 50. Wine and bread are transferred from the altar to the throne, after which the gates are closed.

After the giving of the Gifts, the Creed is read. This is done by all parishioners, and before pronouncing the Creed, you need to cross yourself.

This is followed by the most ancient and main part of the liturgy - the anaphora. In Orthodox churches, it is a Eucharistic prayer consisting of five parts and read by a priest. The reading order is:

1. Introduction, or preface;
2. Sanctus;
3. Anamnesis - recollection of the Last Supper;
4. Epiclesis - the invocation of the Holy Spirit to consecrate the Gifts;
5. Intercession is intercession for the living and the dead.

During the Anaphora, the transposition or transubstantiation of the Gifts takes place - they become the Body and Blood of Christ.

After the anaphora, “Our Father” is read, and Communion itself begins. Children can be led to it just like that, but adults should first confess and keep a three-day fast. The clergy receive communion first, followed by the men, and finally the women and children.

At the end of the service, the parishioners kiss the altar cross.

The symbolic meaning of the liturgy

As mentioned earlier, the liturgy reproduces the main moments of the earthly life of Christ. Some theologians see it as a timeless memory. Each liturgical action carries more than one meaning. So, on the proskomedia, wine is diluted with water - this is a direct reference to the moment when one of the soldiers pierced the crucified Christ with a spear, and blood and water poured out of the hole. The tool with which particles are cut off from prosphora on the proskomedia is called a spear and resembles the same spear in shape.

The altar itself, on which the proskomidia takes place, is an image of the cave where Jesus was born, and the diskos, where particles of prosphora are laid, is the Holy Sepulcher.

The ritual itself reproduces the ancient sacrifice, with the only difference being that the sacrifice is bloodless: Jesus gave blood for the whole world on the cross.

The whole liturgy is considered from the same point of view. So, the Small Entrance to the liturgy of the catechumens is the entrance of Christ to the sermon, which is read in this part of the service. The Great Entrance symbolizes passion and death on the cross. Particular attention is paid to the memory of the Last Supper - it became the prototype of the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Variants of the Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite

Traditionally, it has been that in Orthodox churches it is possible to hold five types of liturgy, but in practice, three of them are most often carried out:

• The Liturgy of John Chrysostom is performed, as they say, by default. it classic version, which should follow the plan outlined in the previous chapters. The only thing that is carried over to the end of the service today is the sermon. It has become a kind of parting word, and its topics are diverse, which is why its duration may not fit into standard time intervals.
• The Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated ten times a year - on the eve of the Nativity and the Baptism of the Lord, in great post and on the day of memory of St. Basil the Great. It is distinguished by longer prayers - the saint himself insisted on free prayer. Before reading "Our Father ..." the priest does not read "It is worthy to eat ...", but "Rejoices in You ..." or a festive merit.
• The Liturgy of Gregory the Dialogist, or, as it is also called, the Presanctified Gifts, is served only on the days of Great Lent and several feasts, if they fall within this period. The main difference between such a liturgy is the absence of the Proskomidia - communion is made by those Gifts that were consecrated earlier. There is a service in the evening.
• The Liturgy of the Apostle James is celebrated by some churches on the day of his memory. Its main differences are the position of the priest - he stands facing the flock, reading secret prayers aloud and communion in parts: first, the priest gives the layman a piece of bread, and then the deacon gives him a drink of wine.
• The Liturgy of the Apostle James is held in a number of parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Its difference from others is the Anaphora formula: Intercession in it follows Preface.

Those wishing to attend the liturgy should know that you should not be afraid to visit the temple. But certain rules must be observed.

On the eve of the sacrament, repentance is necessary. To do this, you need to go to the temple the day before, talk with the priest and confess. Fasting is observed before going to church, and if health permits, it is better not to eat at all.

Don't miss the start of the service. Arriving in advance, you can submit notes for health and repose until Proskomidia, as well as participate in the prayer of the Third and Sixth hours. It is simply impolite to miss the Hours, after all, the Eucharist is not a shamanistic ritual, but a Sacrament in which believers receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

No need to walk around the temple from corner to corner. It prevents others from praying.

During Communion itself, one should not crowd around the altar. They approach him with their arms crossed over their chest, left under right, and giving their name. Having accepted the Body and Blood, you need to kiss the edge of the bowl.

Before communion, women should refrain from decorative cosmetics, in particular from lipstick. Traces on a spoon or veil, with which they wipe their lips after Communion, will spoil the event for other parishioners.

They leave the service not earlier than the kissing of the cross and prayer.

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 St. John Chrysostom is celebrated in the Orthodox Church throughout the year, except for Great Lent, when it is served on Saturdays, on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and on the Sunday of Vai. 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 the church reform of Patriarch Nikon, five prosphora began to be used for the proskomedia (before the reform, the Liturgy was served on seven prosphora) in remembrance of the gospel miracle of the feeding of five thousand people by Christ with five loaves. 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 Holy Scripture and a 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

We have already said that liturgy- the main, most important service, during which the Sacrament is performed Eucharist, or sacrament of communion. This Sacrament was first performed by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself on the eve of His sufferings, on Maundy Thursday. The Savior, having gathered all the apostles together, gave praise to God the Father, took bread, blessed it and broke it. He gave it to the holy apostles with the words: Take, eat: this is my body. Then He took a cup of wine, blessed it and gave it to the apostles, saying: Drink everything from it: for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.(Mt 26:28). The Lord also commanded the apostles: Do this in remembrance of me(Luke 22:19). Even after the resurrection of Christ and His ascension into Heaven, the Apostles performed the Sacrament of Communion. During the Eucharist (gr. thanksgiving) each time, what the Lord did at the Last Supper actually happens. We mysteriously, under the guise of bread and wine, partake of the Divine Himself — Body and Blood of the Savior. He abides in us, and we abide in Him, as the Lord said (cf. Jn 15:5).

The Eucharist is also called Bloodless victim because it is an image of the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus Christ offered for us at Calvary. He did it once, having suffered for the sins of the world, resurrected and ascended into Heaven, where he sat at the right hand of God the Father. The sacrifice of Christ was offered once and will not be repeated. With the establishment of the New Testament, the Old Testament sacrifices ceased, and now Christians make the Bloodless Sacrifice in remembrance of Christ's sacrifice and for the communion of His Body and Blood.

The Old Testament sacrifices were only a shadow, a type of the Divine sacrifice. Waiting for the Redeemer, the Liberator from the power of the devil and sin - main topic of the entire Old Testament, and for us, the people of the New Testament, the sacrifice of Christ, the atonement by the Savior of the sins of the world, is the foundation of our faith.

The Holy Gifts are a fire that burns every sin and every defilement, if a person strives to partake worthily. We partake of the healing of soul and body. When approaching communion, one must do it with reverence and awe, realizing one's weakness and unworthiness. “Although eat (eat), man, Body of the Lady, approach with fear, but do not be scorched: there is fire,” says the prayers for Holy Communion.

Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) writes about how the Lord enlightened one young man, Dmitry Shepelev, and showed that in Holy Communion the true Body of the Savior is served: “He was brought up in the Corps of Pages. Once during Great Lent, when the pages were fasting and were already approaching the Holy Mysteries, the young man Shepelev expressed to his comrade walking beside him his resolute disbelief that the body and blood of Christ should be in the cup. When the secrets were taught to him, he felt that he had meat in his mouth. Horror embraced young man: he stood beside himself, not feeling the strength to swallow a particle. The priest noticed the change that had taken place in him and ordered him to enter the altar. There, holding a particle in his mouth and confessing his sin, Shepelev came to his senses and used the Holy Mysteries taught to him ”(“ Fatherland ”).

Often, spiritual people, ascetics, during the celebration of the Eucharist, there were manifestations of heavenly fire descending on the Holy Gifts. Yes, the Sacrament of Communion, the Eucharist is the greatest miracle and mystery, as well as the greatest mercy to us sinners, and visible evidence of what the Lord has established with people New Testament in His Blood (see: Luke 22:20), having offered a sacrifice for us on the cross, he died and rose again, spiritually resurrecting all mankind by Himself. And we can now partake of His Body and Blood for the healing of soul and body, abiding in Christ, and He will "abide in us" (see: Jn 6:56).

Origin of the liturgy

The sacrament of communion, the Eucharist, from ancient times also received the name liturgy, which translates from Greek as common cause, common service.

The Holy Apostles, disciples of Christ, having received from their Divine Teacher the commandment to celebrate the Sacrament of Communion in remembrance of Him, after His ascension began to celebrate the breaking of bread - the Eucharist. Christians constantly abided in the teaching of the Apostles, in communion and the breaking of bread, and in prayers(Acts 2:42).

The order of the liturgy was formed gradually. At first, the apostles celebrated the Eucharist according to the very order that their Master had taught them. In apostolic times, the Eucharist was combined with the so-called agapamy, or meals of love. Christians ate food and were in prayer and fellowship. After supper, the breaking of bread and communion of the faithful took place. But then the liturgy was separated from the meal and began to be celebrated as an independent sacred rite. The Eucharist began to be celebrated inside sacred temples. AT I-II centuries the order of the liturgy, apparently, was not written down and was transmitted orally.

What are the liturgies

Gradually, in different localities, their own liturgical rites began to take shape. Served in the Jerusalem community Liturgy of the Apostle James. In Alexandria and Egypt there was Liturgy of the Apostle Mark. In Antioch, the liturgy of Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. All these liturgies are the same in their meaning and significance, but differ in the texts of the prayers that the priest offers at the consecration of the Holy Gifts.

Now in the practice of the Russian Orthodox Church there are usually performed three rites of the liturgy. These are the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the liturgy of St. Basil the Great, and the liturgy of St. Gregory the Dialogist.

This liturgy is performed on all days of the year, except for the first five Sundays of Great Lent and weekdays of Great Lent. Saint John Chrysostom composed the order of his liturgy on the basis of the previously composed liturgy Saint Basil the Great but shortened some of the prayers.

Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great

According to St. Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, St. Basil the Great asked God “to give him the strength of spirit and mind to celebrate the Liturgy in his own words. After six days of fervent prayer, the Savior appeared to him miraculously and fulfilled his request. Soon Vasily, imbued with delight and divine awe, began to proclaim: “Let my lips be filled with praise”, “Beware, Lord Jesus Christ our God, from Thy holy habitation” and other prayers of the liturgy.

Liturgy of Saint Basil committed ten times a year:

on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany (on the so-called Christmas and Epiphany Eve), on the day of memory of St. Basil the Great on January 1 (January 14, according to the new style), on the first five Sundays of Great Lent, on Great Thursday and Great Saturday.

Liturgy of St. Gregory the Dialogist, or the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

During the Holy Fortecost of Great Lent on weekdays, the service of the full Liturgy stops. Lent is a time of repentance, weeping for sins, when all festivity and solemnity are excluded from worship. And therefore, according to the rules of the Church, on Wednesday and Friday of Great Lent, Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. The Holy Gifts, with which believers partake, are consecrated at the liturgy on Sunday.

In some Local Orthodox Churches, on the feast day of the holy Apostle James (October 23, old style), a liturgy is served according to his order.

The sequence and symbolic meaning of the liturgy

The procedure for celebrating the full Liturgy (that is, not the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts) is as follows. First, the substance is prepared for the celebration of the Eucharist. Then the faithful prepare for the Sacrament. And, finally, the Sacrament itself is performed - the consecration of the Holy Gifts and the communion of believers. The Divine Liturgy thus has three parts: proskomedia; liturgy of the catechumens; liturgy of the faithful.

Proskomedia

The word is Greek and means bringing. In ancient times, the members of the early Christian community themselves brought everything necessary for the Sacrament before the Liturgy: bread and wine. The bread used in the celebration of the liturgy is called prosphora, which means offering(in ancient times, Christians themselves brought bread to the liturgy). In the Orthodox Church, the Eucharist is celebrated on prosphora made from leavened (yeast) dough.

Used for proskomidia five prosphora in memory of the miraculous feeding of five thousand people by Christ.

For communion, one prosphora (lamb) is used. For the Lord also gave communion to the apostles, breaking and distributing one bread. The Holy Apostle Paul writes: one bread, and we many are one body; for we all partake of the same bread(1 Cor 10:17). The Lamb is broken up after the transfer of the Holy Gifts, and the clergy and all who are preparing for communion partake of it. Wine during the celebration of the liturgy is used red, grape, as it resembles the color of blood. Wine is mixed with a small amount of water as a sign that blood and water have flowed from the perforated rib of the Savior.

The proskomedia is performed at the very beginning of the liturgy in the altar during the reading of the hours by the reader. exclamation "Blessed is our God", anticipating reading third hour, is also the initial exclamation of the proskomedia. The Liturgy is preceded by a service third and sixth hours.

The proskomedia is a very important part of the Divine Liturgy, and preparation of the Gifts for consecration has a deep symbolic meaning.

Recall: proskomidia is performed on altar.

From Lamb prosphora priest with a special knife called copy, cuts out the middle in the shape of a cube. This part of the prosphora is called Lamb as a sign that the Lord, as the Immaculate Lamb, was slain for our sins. From the lower part, the Lamb is incised crosswise with the words: “The Lamb of God is eaten (that is, sacrificed), take away the sins of the world, for the worldly belly (life) and salvation.” The priest pierces the right side of the Lamb with a spear, saying the words: One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who saw testified, and his testimony is true(John 19:34-35).

With these words, wine mixed with water is poured into the chalice. The preparation of the Gifts on proskomedia has several meanings. Here we recall the birth of the Savior, His coming into the world and, of course, the Calvary sacrifice on the Cross, as well as burial.

The prepared Lamb and the particles taken out of the other four prosphora symbolize the fullness of the Church, heavenly and earthly. After preparing the Lamb, he relies on the paten.

The priest from the second prosphora takes out a triangular particle in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos and places it on the right side of the Lamb. Particles are removed from the third prosphora in honor of St. John the Baptist, the prophets, apostles, saints, martyrs, reverends, unmercenaries, saints whose memory is celebrated by the Church on this day, the parents of the Mother of God, the holy righteous Joachim and Anna, and the saint whose liturgy is performed.

From the next two prosphora, particles are taken out for the living and deceased Orthodox Christians.

At the altar at the proskomidia, believers submit notes about health and repose. For the people whose names are contained in the notes, particles are also taken out.

All particles are placed in a certain order on the diskos.

The priest, after shaking, places an asterisk on the paten over the Lamb and the particles. The diskos marks both the Bethlehem cave and Golgotha, the asterisk - the star above the cave and the cross. The priest incenses special covers and puts them over the paten and chalice as a sign that Christ was laid in the tomb and His body was wrapped in swaddling clothes. These swaddling clothes also symbolize Christmas wrappings.

The meaning of the commemoration at the proskomedia

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, after the communion of the faithful, the priest pours the particles taken out of the prosphora on the proskomedia into the holy Chalice with the words: “Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those who are remembered here by Your honest blood, by the prayers of Your saints”.

Prayer at the proskomedia for health and repose with the removal of particles for them, and then immersing them in a chalice is the highest commemoration in the Church. A Bloodless Sacrifice is offered for them. They also participate in the liturgy.

At the relics of St. Theodosius of Chernigov, Hieromonk Alexy (1840-1917), the future elder of the Goloseevsky Skete of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (now glorified as a locally revered saint), served his obedience. He got tired and dozed off by the shrine. Saint Theodosius appeared to him in a dream and thanked him for his labors. He asked that his parents, Priest Nikita and Matushka Maria, be commemorated at the liturgy. When Hieromonk Alexy asked the saint how he could ask for the prayers of a priest when he himself stands before the Throne of God, Saint Theodosius said: “The offering at the Liturgy is stronger than my prayers.”

Saint Gregory the Dialogist relates that after the death of a negligent monk who suffered from a love of money, he commanded that thirty funeral liturgies be served for the deceased, and the brethren to perform a common prayer for him. And after the last liturgy, this monk appeared to his own brother and said: “Until now, brother, I suffered cruelly and terribly, but now I feel good and I am in the light.”

Liturgy of the catechumens

The second part of the liturgy is called liturgy of the catechumens. In ancient times, in order to receive holy baptism, people underwent a very long preparation. They studied the foundations of the faith, went to church, but they could only pray at the Liturgy until the transfer of the Gifts from the altar to the throne. The catechumens, as well as the penitents, who were excommunicated for grave sins, had to go out into the porch of the temple.

After the exclamation of the priest: "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever" the choir sings: "Amen." The peaceful, or great, litany is pronounced. It begins with the words: "Let us pray to the Lord in peace". The word "peace" tells us that we must pray in the world, reconciled with our neighbors, only then the Lord will accept our prayers.

Peaceful litany embraces all aspects of our existence. We pray: for the peace of the whole world, for the holy churches, for the temple where the service is performed, for bishops, presbyters, deacons, for our country, its authorities and its soldiers, for the goodness of the air and the abundance of earthly fruits necessary for subsistence. Here we also ask God to help all those who are traveling, sick and in captivity.

The liturgy is common cause, and prayer on it is performed conciliarly, that is, by all the believing people, "with one mouth and one heart." Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.(Mt 18:20), the Lord tells us. And according to the charter, a priest cannot celebrate the Liturgy alone; at least one person must pray with him.

After great litany psalms are sung antiphons, since they are supposed to be sung on two kliros alternately. The psalms of the prophet David were part of the Old Testament worship and made up a significant part of the hymns in the early Christian service. After the second antiphon, the hymn is always sung: “Only Begotten Son…” – about the coming into the world of Christ the Savior, His incarnation and redemptive sacrifice. During the singing of the gospel beatitudes from Christ's Sermon on the Mount, the royal doors open and the small entrance is made, or entrance with gospel. The priest or deacon, raising the Gospel, signifying the cross in the royal doors, proclaims: “Wisdom, forgive!” Translated from Greek sorry means directly. This is said as a reminder to us that we need to be attentive in prayer, to stand straight.

It also speaks of the wisdom that the Divine Gospel and the preaching of the Lord brings us, for the Gospel is taken out of the altar as a sign that Christ has come out to preach and brings the Good News to the world.

After singing the troparia, dedicated to the holiday, this day, the saints of the day and the temple, is sung Trisagion: “Holy God ...” On the Nativity of Christ, the Baptism of the Lord, Easter and Easter week, on the day of the Holy Trinity, as well as on Lazarus and the Great Saturday, instead of the Trisagion, it is sung: put on (put on). Alleluia." In ancient times, catechumens were traditionally baptized on these holidays. On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the week of Great Lent, instead of the Trisagion, it is sung: “We worship Thy Cross, Master, and glorify Thy holy Resurrection.”

For careful reading Apostle and gospels we are prepared by the exclamations of “Let us attend” and “Wisdom, forgive us, let us hear the Holy Gospel.” After the gospel reading, a special (enhanced) litany follows, at which, in addition to various prayers for the hierarchies, authorities, the army and all believers, there is a commemoration by name of those who submitted their notes to the liturgy: their names are proclaimed by the clergy, and all the people together with them pray for health and the salvation of God's servants, "all who are now remembered here."

During the special litany, the priest reveals on the throne holy antimension.

After the spoken special litany often added Litany for the Dead. During it, we pray for all our formerly deceased fathers, brothers and sisters, we ask God to forgive their voluntary and involuntary sins and to place them in heavenly abodes, where all the righteous rest.

Followed by litany of the catechumens. For some, this part of the service is bewildering. Indeed, the practice of catechumens, preparation for baptism, which was in the ancient Church, does not exist now. Today, as a rule, we baptize people after one or two conversations. But still catechumens, preparing to receive Orthodox faith, there is now. There are many people who have not yet received baptism, but are reaching out, going to the Church. We pray for them, that the Lord would strengthen their good intention, reveal to them His "Gospel of Truth" and join them to the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

In our time, there are many people who were baptized at one time, in childhood, by their parents or grandmothers, but who are completely unenlightened. And that the Lord would “announce them with the word of truth” and bring them into the church fence, and we need to pray at this litany.

After the words "Announcers, come out" those preparing for baptism and the penitents left the temple, for the main part Divine Liturgy. With these words, we must especially carefully look into our soul, banish from it all resentment and enmity against our neighbors, as well as all worldly vain thoughts, in order to pray with full attention and reverence at the Liturgy of the faithful.

Liturgy of the Faithful

This part of the service begins after the catechumens are called to leave the temple. Two short litanies follow. The choir starts to sing Cherubic Hymn. If we translate it into Russian, it will read like this: “We, mysteriously portraying the Cherubim and singing the Trisagion Hymn to the Life-Giving Trinity, will now lay aside the care of everything worldly in order to perceive the King of all, Who is surrounded by angelic Forces. Praise God!”

This song mentions that the Lord is surrounded by angelic hosts, constantly glorifying Him. And not only clergy and parishioners pray at the Divine Liturgy. Together with the earthly Church, the heavenly Church celebrates the Liturgy.

Once, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, being a hierodeacon, served the Divine Liturgy. After a small entrance, Seraphim proclaimed at the royal doors: “Lord, save the pious and hear us!” But as soon as he turned to the people, he pointed at the forthcoming orarion and said: “And forever and ever!” - as a beam lit up him brighter than sunlight. Looking at this radiance, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ in the form of the Son of Man in glory, shining with indescribable light, surrounded by Heavenly Powers - Angels, Archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim.

During the Cherubic Hymn, the Gifts prepared for consecration are transferred from the altar to the throne.

This is called transfer great entrance. The priest and the deacon carry the Gifts, leaving the altar through the northern (left) doors. Stopping on the ambo, in front of the royal doors, facing the faithful, they commemorate His Holiness the Patriarch, metropolitans, archbishops, bishops, the priesthood, all those who work and pray in this church.

After that, the clergy enter the altar through the royal doors, place the Chalice and paten on the throne, and cover the Gifts with a special veil (air). Meanwhile, the choir sings the Cherubic Hymn. The Great Entrance symbolizes the solemn procession of Christ on His free suffering and death.

Litany, following the transfer of the Gifts, is called petitionary and prepares the faithful for the most important part of the liturgy - the consecration of the Holy Gifts.

After this litany, Symbol of faith. Before the singing of the Creed by all the people, the deacon proclaims: “Doors, doors! Let us hear wisdom!” These words in ancient times reminded the gatekeepers that the main and solemn part of the service was beginning, so that they would watch the doors of the temple so that those who enter would not violate the decorum. It reminds us that we need to close the doors of our mind from extraneous thoughts.

As a rule, all worshipers sing the Creed, confessing their faith in the most important dogmas of the Orthodox Church.

Often one has to deal with the fact that the godparents, the recipients at the Sacrament of Baptism, cannot read the Creed. This is due to the fact that people do not read morning prayers (they include the Creed) and rarely go to the liturgy. After all, in the temple, every Divine Liturgy, all the people with one mouth confess their faith and, of course, know this hymn by heart.

The sacrament of the Eucharist, the holy offering must be offered with the fear of God, with reverence and special care. Therefore, the deacon proclaims: “Let us become good, let us stand with fear, let us pay attention, bring the holy exaltation in the world.” Begins eucharistic canon. chants "The grace of the world, the sacrifice of praise" is the answer to this call.

The exclamations of the priest alternate with the singing of the choir. The priest reads during the singing of the so-called secret (that is, sacramental, not read aloud) Eucharistic prayers.

Let us dwell on the main, main prayers of the Eucharistic canon. According to the priest, “We thank the Lord!” preparations begin for consecration, the realization of honest Gifts. The priest reads the thanksgiving Eucharistic prayer. It glorifies the blessings of God, especially the redemption of the human race. We thank the Lord that He accepts from us the Bloodless Sacrifice in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, although angelic ranks await and serve Him, glorifying Him: “Singing the victorious song, crying out, crying out and speaking.” The priest pronounces these words of prayer in a full voice.

Continuing the Eucharistic prayers, the priest recalls how the Lord Jesus Christ on the eve of His voluntary suffering established the Sacrament of Communion of His life-giving Body and Blood. The words of the Savior, sounded at the Last Supper, the priest proclaims loudly: "Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins". At the same time, he points to the diskos with the Lamb. And further: “Drink from her all, this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.”, - pointing to the holy Chalice.

Further, remembering all the blessings given by God to people — the Sacrament of Communion itself, His sacrifice on the Cross, and His second glorious Coming promised to us — the priest utters an exclamation full of deep theological meaning: “Yours from Yours, offering to You about everyone and for everything”. We dare to bring these gifts to God from His creations (bread and wine), bringing a bloodless sacrifice for all the children of the Church and for all the good deeds rendered to us by Him. The chorus ends this phrase with the words: “We sing to you, we bless you, we thank you, we pray to you(You), our God".

While singing these words occurs consecration, transformation prepared bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. The priest prays, prepares for this great moment, reading aloud the troparion of the third hour three times. He asks that God send His Most Holy Spirit on all those who pray and on the Holy Gifts. Then the holy Lamb signifies with the words: “And make this bread, the precious body of your Christ”. The deacon answers: "Amen". Then he blesses the wine, saying: “And the hedgehog in this Cup is the precious Blood of Thy Christ”. The deacon replies: "Amen". Then he marks the paten with the Lamb and the holy Chalice with the words: "Changing by Your Holy Spirit". The consecration of the Holy Gifts ends three times: "Amen, amen, amen". The clergy bow to the ground before the Body and Blood of Christ. The Holy Gifts are offered as a bloodless sacrifice for everyone and everything without exception: for all the saints and for the Mother of God, as is said in the exclamation of the priest, which is the end of the priestly prayer: "Considerably(especially) of the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary". In response to this exclamation, a hymn dedicated to the Mother of God is sung: "Worthy to eat". (On Pascha and on the Twelfth Feasts, before the giving away, another Theotokos hymn is sung - the merit.)

This is followed by a litany which prepares the faithful for communion and also contains the usual petitions of the petitionary litany. After the litany and the exclamation of the priest, the Lord's Prayer is sung (most often by all the people) - "Our Father" .

When the apostles asked Christ to teach them how to pray, He gave them this prayer. In it, we ask for everything necessary for life: for everything to be the will of God, for daily bread (and, of course, for the Lord to vouchsafe us to receive heavenly bread, His Body), for the forgiveness of our sins and for so that the Lord would help us overcome all temptations and deliver us from the wiles of the devil.

Priest's voice: "Holy to the holy!" tells us that one must approach the Holy Mysteries reverently, sanctifying oneself with prayer, fasting, and being cleansed in the Sacrament of Penance.

In the altar, at this time, the clergy crush the holy Lamb, commune themselves and prepare the Gifts for the communion of believers. After that, the royal doors open, and the deacon takes out the holy Chalice with the words: "Come with the fear of God and faith". Opening of the Royal Doors marks the opening of the Holy Sepulcher, and removal of the Holy Gifts The appearance of the Lord after His resurrection.

The priest reads the prayer of St. John Chrysostom before Holy Communion: I believe, Lord, and I confess for you are truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came into the world to save sinners, from them I am the first ... "And people pray, listening to humble prayer, realizing their unworthiness and bowing before the greatness of the taught shrine. The prayer before communion with the Body and Blood of Christ ends with the words: “I will not kiss Thee, like Judas, but like a thief I confess Thee: remember me, Lord, in Thy Kingdom. May the communion of Thy Holy Mysteries, Lord, not be for judgment and condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body. Amen".

One who communes unworthily, without faith, without contrition of heart, having malice and resentment towards his neighbor in his heart, is likened to Judas the traitor, who was one of the twelve disciples, was present at the Last Supper, and then went and betrayed the Teacher.

All those who were preparing for communion and received permission from the priest partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. After that, the priest brings the holy Chalice into the altar.

The priest overshadows those who pray with the holy Chalice with the words: "Always, now and ever and forever and ever" and carries it to the altar. This marks the last appearance of the Savior to the disciples and His ascension to heaven.

The deacon pronounces a short litany of thanksgiving, ending with the priest's prayer behind the ambo (that is, read before the ambo).

At the end of the liturgy, the priest says vacation. On leave, the Mother of God, the saint whose liturgy was celebrated, the saints of the temple and the day are usually remembered.

All those who pray kiss holy cross held by the priest.

After the liturgy, thanksgiving prayers for Holy Communion are usually read. If they are not read in the temple, all those who take communion read them when they come home.