Question about the Liturgy

[MoNiCa4316]

:wave: As you may have read in other threads here, I go to a Protestant church and my parents are EO. However we live pretty far from the church, so they don't go often. When they do go, I come with them. However, the Liturgy there is in old Russian (Slavonic?) and I understand very little of it. My parents also don't understand it very well...we're all fairly new Christians and they are still learning about the EO church. It's just there's a lot of old Russian words that we don't know. So I was wondering, what exactly does the priest say during Liturgy? :confused: I'm guessing it's fairly similar all over the world? If anyone could help me out, that'll be great :) I want to visit an English speaking EO church sometime but it's also far away and I haven't yet had the opportunity to do that.

The only thing I can understand is "Lord have mercy" and when the Trinity is mentioned. I know approximately when people are supposed to cross themselves. But that's about it. Is Liturgy the same every Sunday?? lol! sorry I'm pretty ignorant. If anyone could give me a little summary of a typical Liturgy at their church, that'll be very helpful. When I go to the church I just stand there for two hours, pray silently, and look around at all the icons..lol..I wish I knew a bit more of what is actually happening around me.

On the website, there's a schedule for services for this month. For every Sunday, it says:

date - time - Liturgy - week # - and then mentions the names of saints or church Fathers.

What is the significance of the saints? Are they mentioned during the Liturgy??

thanks!!

[Philothei]

Are there any liturgy books at the church? Most of the Russian churches give out bi-lingual books of liturgy.
Maybe you can ask the priest to give you the liturgy book or you can also order them in Amazon. The Russians celebrate differently though on Sundays than the GOA and the Antiochians.

Maybe someone from the Russsian tradition can suggest some books and sites here...

Take care,
God bless,
Philothei

[JuvenalyMartinka]

The saints are those that have gone before us in the Faith. Those who have "run the race" and fought the good fight" as Saint Paul calls them. Each Sunday (and each day of the week for that matter) a different saint (or saints) is commemorated for their life and struggle in the Faith. There are websites on the internet that will give you their lives so you can read them and see that what we do is not worship them for themselves, but we venerate them for their willingness to "give up everything they had, take up their Cross and follow Christ."

As for an idea of what goes on at the Liturgy it does vary *slightly* but only in local custom. The Liturgy is and of itself is identical in all places of the world.

I was going to post the text of the Liturgy here for you but due to the fact that there are notes on this site I will just post it. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/liturgy/liturgy.html

[Kolya]

Hi Monica,

I also attend a Russian Salvonic church, so my Bi-Lingual Liturgy book is a Must Have. Lucky for us, we get English Liturgy once a month.
Just do a Google on Orthodox English Liturgy. You should be able to find plenty sites that offer the DL in English.

If you would like to see my parish Church, click below.
here
(http://en.www.st-sergius.info/cgi-bin/client/display.pl)
Regards,

Kolya

[MoNiCa4316]

Thank you for the replies! :)

That really helps. I'll ask if the church has any books on the Liturgy. Juvenaly Martinka, thanks for the link! I read it, it's really beautiful! :D

I have a couple more questions, if that's alright...on the website that was linked, there are 'lines' for the priest and for the people...but in the church I've been to, the people don't say anything, they just cross themselves. How is it in your churches?

Also, what is the significance of the priest going in and out of the little door that leads to the altar? Every time I'm there, I always wonder that, lol!

[Monica, child of God]

Hi Monica,

I also attend a Russian Salvonic church, so my Bi-Lingual Liturgy book is a Must Have. Lucky for us, we get English Liturgy once a month.
Just do a Google on Orthodox English Liturgy. You should be able to find plenty sites that offer the DL in English.

If you would like to see my parish Church, click below.
here
(http://en.www.st-sergius.info/cgi-bin/client/display.pl)
Regards,

Kolya

Kolya! :clap: :wave:

(the other) Monica

[Mary of Bethany]

Hi Monica,

I also attend a Russian Salvonic church, so my Bi-Lingual Liturgy book is a Must Have. Lucky for us, we get English Liturgy once a month.
Just do a Google on Orthodox English Liturgy. You should be able to find plenty sites that offer the DL in English.

If you would like to see my parish Church, click below.
here
(http://en.www.st-sergius.info/cgi-bin/client/display.pl)
Regards,

Kolya

Hey, stranger! Long time no "see"! :wave:

Mary

[Akathist]

Thank you for the replies! :)

That really helps. I'll ask if the church has any books on the Liturgy. Juvenaly Martinka, thanks for the link! I read it, it's really beautiful! :D

I have a couple more questions, if that's alright...on the website that was linked, there are 'lines' for the priest and for the people...but in the church I've been to, the people don't say anything, they just cross themselves. How is it in your churches?

Also, what is the significance of the priest going in and out of the little door that leads to the altar? Every time I'm there, I always wonder that, lol!

The basic Divine Liturgy is the same all over the world. But there are some small differences parish to parish or jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In some parishes the Priest (Or reader or deacon) says something and the canter or choir responds and the people tend to be quiet or silent most of the time.

I don't think there is a parish anywhere where there is absolutely no interactions or replies. It is my understanding that this is something the DL needs no matter what. The DL needs to have at least one other person present to reply in at least the minimal places. (I guess I could be wrong but that is what I have been taught.)

In my parish (OCA), it is not just the choir who responds but the entire parish. Of course, to reply or not is optional for each person. I almost always do all the replies as I sing in the choir. But if someone was just observing or didn't like to sing or throat hurt, etc then they would not have to reply at all.

There are two main times on Sunday that the Priest goes in and out of the "little doors". The first is the "Small Entrance" which is the presentation of the Gospel. This happens before the bible is read during the service.

The second time is the "Grand Entrance" which is the presentation of the challace and bread (before it becomes the Eucharist).

I think of the small enterance as being like the time Christ was teaching. His being amoung us in physical form. His teaching is in the Bible and it is being presented. The Grand Enterance I think of it as being like the Enterance of Christ into Jerusalem before Holy Week. The Eucharist itself represents "Easter" or Pascha.

In my parish, the small enterance has the Priest coming out and going back in next to the iconstasis. The Grand enterance has the Priest walking through the nave (or gathering part of the church were the people stand) then back into the Altar.

[disasm]

Check out the worship book in the rainbow series by Fr. Hopko.

http://www.oca.org/OCIndex-TOC.asp?SID=2&book=Worship

[wynd]

I have a couple more questions, if that's alright...on the website that was linked, there are 'lines' for the priest and for the people...but in the church I've been to, the people don't say anything, they just cross themselves. How is it in your churches?


In my experience, the level of congregational response varies from parish to parish. For example, at the church I attend while at school the whole congregation sings. At the one I attend while home, it's mostly the choir.

[authiodionitist]

The basic Divine Liturgy is the same all over the world. But there are some small differences parish to parish or jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In some parishes the Priest (Or reader or deacon) says something and the canter or choir responds and the people tend to be quiet or silent most of the time.

I don't think there is a parish anywhere where there is absolutely no interactions or replies. It is my understanding that this is something the DL needs no matter what. The DL needs to have at least one other person present to reply in at least the minimal places. (I guess I could be wrong but that is what I have been taught.)

In my parish (OCA), it is not just the choir who responds but the entire parish. Of course, to reply or not is optional for each person. I almost always do all the replies as I sing in the choir. But if someone was just observing or didn't like to sing or throat hurt, etc then they would not have to reply at all.

There are two main times on Sunday that the Priest goes in and out of the "little doors". The first is the "Small Entrance" which is the presentation of the Gospel. This happens before the bible is read during the service.

The second time is the "Grand Entrance" which is the presentation of the challace and bread (before it becomes the Eucharist).

I think of the small enterance as being like the time Christ was teaching. His being amoung us in physical form. His teaching is in the Bible and it is being presented. The Grand Enterance I think of it as being like the Enterance of Christ into Jerusalem before Holy Week. The Eucharist itself represents "Easter" or Pascha.

In my parish, the small enterance has the Priest coming out and going back in next to the iconstasis. The Grand enterance has the Priest walking through the nave (or gathering part of the church were the people stand) then back into the Altar.
I want to piggyback on this....

The Small Entrance is not only Christ's entrance into the world as Teacher, but also his entrance into a world that is fallen and in need of great blessing. The greatest blessing we have is that we, the Church, are the Kingdom of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - this is the benediction at the beginning of the Liturgy.
Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen!

What this means is that this is God's Kingdom here revealed among a community of humanity. This is the restored Paradise, the Garden of Eden of our forebears.

So the Small Entrance the Gospels are moved from the Altar, which represents the Eternal Throne of the Lamb (to Him be all glory! Come, Lord Jesus!), to the Royal Doors of the Sanctuary. This movement represents Christ's entrance into the world in time and space.

The Great Entrance moves the Gifts from the Altar of Preparation to the Resurrectional Altar, and represents Golgotha. In it we, learning from the Wise Thief, cry "remember us in Thy kingdom" and commemorate each of our leaders and the many vocations of God's people - finally remembering You and all Orthodox Christians, may the Lord remember in His kingdom, always now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen!

Obviously, the Divine Liturgy is truly Divine in that it represents the story of our unfolding salvation, and it shows us how to pray, and is resplendant with the worship of the Word, and it enables us to be True Worshippers, and so so much more.

[Dorothea]

In my experience, the level of congregational response varies from parish to parish. For example, at the church I attend while at school the whole congregation sings. At the one I attend while home, it's mostly the choir.
Same here. The church we were attending up in spokane, WA, some sang along with the choir, but down here in the church CO Sprgs, most of the congregation sings with the choir and even does the "Kyrie Eliason" with the choir.