Divine Liturgy 101

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Hi, folks! :wave: It's exciting to see the constant flow of people into TAW who are interested in Orthodoxy. Last Sunday in Inquirers class we went over what happens in each Divine Liturgy. It was great! I've been attending DL for almost 8 months and I still didn't know what half the terms in the bulletin meant! So, for the new people who have just started attending DL, or are thinking about visiting an Orthodox Church, here is some helpful information for you.

1. What is Divine Liturgy?
"Liturgy" literally means "the people's work." It's the common task God gives people in order to bring about, in One Spirit of Christ, the movement of the people of God from earth to heaven. God's power and presence within the liturgy makes the Kingdom of heaven present here on earth. The liturgy used is called the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom because it was the liturgy used in the city of Constantinople when he was patriarch there (A.D 398). The structure of the liturgy moves us from earth in the common prayers of the faithful, toward the altar in God's kingdom, Holy Communion, and then back to the world again.

2. Prosthesis
Or proskomedia, which means preparation. Before the beinning fo the DL, the priest enters the church with special prayers, and puts on his liturgical vestments (Ex. 28:1,2). He then goes to the table of oblation, which means "offering to God", to prepare the bread and wine for Holy Communion. Following this, the priest or deacon censes the altar (incense), the icons, and the entire church. While censing the alrat table he recites lines which confess the fullness of Christ's presence, in the grave, in death, in paradise, at the right hand of the Father. He also recites Ps. 51, "Have mercy on me, O God."

3. The call to worship.
"Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the SOn and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages." With these words, the priest announces the source and the goal of the divine service of the people of God, and the very context of the entire liturgical action.

4. The Great Litany.
-was called "common prayers" in the early Church, meaning the prayers of the Christian community for everyone everywhere. This litany begins every liturgical service and consists of petitions to which the people respond "Lord have mercy." The Great Litany begins with prayers "in peace" and "for peace." The people then procede to pray for their eternal salvation, for the welfare of God's churches, for the union of all, and for the faithful and God-fearing of the particular community. The Great Litany continues with prayers for the bishops, priests, deacons, people of the church, the nation and authorities, and many other things (I'm trying not to make this too long ;) ).

5. Antiphons
-these were originally chanted back and forth between two choirs or between a cantor and choir. Antiphon literally means "opposing voices." A hymn by the Emporer Justinian, Only-begotten Son, is always sung. It is a hymn of faith in the divinity of Christ and his Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection as "one of the Holy Trinity" for the salvation of men. A 3rd antiphon is chanted which on normal Sundays in most Orthodox Churches is the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:3-12).

6. The Little Entrance
-or Gospel Entrance. In the early church the Gospel book was hidden for safe keeping during times of persecution. The "entrance" was the time when the Book of the Gospels was actually brought into or entered the church. Now the entrance can remind us of those days and of our own desire to enter God's Kingdom. The Little Entrance is made during the singing of the 3rd antiphon. Bfore the reading, the clergy will make the exclamation "Wisdom! Let us attend!", and we respond by singing "Come! Let us worship and fall down before Christ, Who rose from the dead. O Son of God, save us who sing to You: Alleluia!"

7. Hymns for the day.
Called Troparion and Kontakion. These hymns are selected becasue they pertain to a certain theme for the day. Every Sunday we remember the Resurrection. In my parish we always sing a hymn in honor of St. Nicholas because he is the patron of our parish, so wherever you attend they will sing a hymn to the parish patron.

8. The Trisagion.
-is a Greek word meaning "three holies." "Holy God! Holy mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us!" The Thrice Holy Hymn is of ancient origin. Not sure of what date. If someone knows, feel free to share.:)

9. The Prokeimenon
-means literally "before the text" and is a verse form the Psalms used as an intro. to the scripture readings.

10. The Epistle Reading.
The reading is selected based on the themes of the Church calendar.

11. The Gospel Reading.

12. Sermon / Homily

13. Litany of Fervent Supplication (or Augmented Litany)
At this time, the intercessions are not made generally, as is the Great Litany, but very specifically on behalf of all people in need of God's blessings, strength, and guidance.

14. The Great Entrance
Time for the sacrificial offering to God. The Gifts of bread and wine, which will become the Body and Blood of Christ, are carried in solemn procession from the table of oblation, into the middle of the church, and through the Royal Doors of the iconostasis to the altar table. In some Orthodox Churches (like mine), the offertory procession of the Great Entrance is made around the entire nave of the church.

15. The Cherubimic Hymn.
-is sung during the Great Entrance.

16. Litany of Supplication (or prayer of the offering)
Prayer that God would be merciful and accept the offering of His people despite their sins, and would allow them to worthily offer the Eucharistic Gifts and to receive Holy Communion with God.

17. The Peace
-The kissof peace is exchanged between the celebrating clergy (and sometimes between the people as well, depending on the church custom).

18. The Creed.
The people recite the Nicene Creed.

19 The Anaphora.
-means "lifting up." The liturgy now focuses on the reality of Christ coming into our presence in the consecration of the holy gifts by the power of the Holy Spirit. "For Christ, our Paschal Lamb, has been sacrificed." (I Cor. 5:7).

20 Hymn to the Theotokos.
(the birth-giver of God). We give special remembrance to the Virgin Mary as part of our communion with all the saints.

21. Litany before the Lord's Prayer

22. The Communion Prayer

23. Communion Hymns

24. Communion
The partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, only for the faithful Orthodox who have spritually prepared themselves.

25. Post-communion hymn

26. Prayer before the Ambo
Prayer in front of the icon of our parish patron. Not sure if this is done the same way in all churches.

27. The Dismissal.
Our priest ends by saying "Christ is in our Midst!", and we reply "He is and always will be!". After this, everyone comes forward to venerate the Lord's Cross by kissing it. Of course, if you're new, you don't have to do this.

I will just mention also that just before DL begins (and during it), people come forward to venerate icons and light candles. I know I have shortened things, but only to prevent people from falling asleep while reading.;) People can add things to this, based on their own experiences with DL. Oh, and almost all Orthodox Churches have coffee and pastries after the liturgy, all are welcome and it is free, of course. Be sure to introduce yourself to the priest. I hope this has helped someone!

Oh, and this looks like a lot, but the whole thing only takes about 1 hr. 40 min. or so.

[Michael the Iconographer]

This post should be stickied!

[Momzilla]

Tracy, you rock! As it happens, my Sunday school lesson this week is supposed to be about the Liturgy, and I was planning to come here, begging for assistance, sometime today. And I pop in for a minute, and here it is, all laid out for me! :hug: Thanks!

[Michael the Iconographer]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta again.

Ugh the reps police are out again!

[Sergius_Lucius]

Good job, Elizaveta! :thumbsup: Thanks! BTW, what does 101 mean?

[Michael the Iconographer]

101 is the college nomenclature for a beginners class in something.

[Eusebios]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta again.

Ugh the reps police are out again!
Got it Michael!

[Michael the Iconographer]

Speaking of Divine Liturgy, Me and Dan Gall should make a trip down to Eusebios' church one of these sundays!

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Thanks, y'all. :hug: I still remember how foreign everything seemed the first time I experienced a Divine Liturgy. I would've liked to have known what everything meant much sooner, so I thought I'd give other new-comers a heads up.:) Perhaps I can save them from 7 or 8 months of head-scratching.;) {They should save all their energy for the hair-pulling that will soon follow ^_^ }

[countrymousenc]

This post should be stickied!
:thumbsup: That's got my vote! I'm going to print this out, in case hubby might want to read it to get a better feel for how the service is organized. Thanks, Tracy :)

[Rick of Wessex]

That's why I'm the president of Tracy's fan-club. ;) This girl rocks!

Rick

[jkotinek]

We could call this the "27 things I wish I had known..." =`)

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

That's why I'm the president of Tracy's fan-club. ;) This girl rocks!

Rick
AAAAAWWW.:hug: :D Thanks, Rick!:angel:

[Eusebios]

Speaking of Divine Liturgy, Me and Dan Gall should make a trip down to Eusebios' church one of these sundays!
Yes you should! Dan knows right where it's at! I'm actually off work this Sunday (I hope! usually work 2-9). There are a group of us who are going to go to a Browns/Steelers "tailgate" at the Serbian Church which should be fun!!
In Xp,
Eusebios.
:bow:

[The Virginian]

www.antiochian.org (http://www.antiochian.org) Click on About us, then you'll see Glossary of Orthodox terminology, where terms from A to Z are explained

Dictionary of Orthodox Terms (http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/dictionary_terminology.htm) covers some of the same terms as the Antiochian site, plus others

Divine Liturgy (http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/liturgy_e.htm) The Divine Liturgy; covering Introduction, Proskomedia, English and Slavonic texts of; according to St. John Chrysostom with comments.

ENJOY!!!



a sinful and unworthy servant

[The Virginian]

I tried the links mentioned above to see if they would work. Lo and behold the third link failed; howeverthe information is there on that site. Click on Sacrements, then scroll down the list and you'll find the information mentioned above. Sorry for the mis-direction.

a sinful and unworthy servant

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Bump. :)

[Matrona]

Shouldn't this be a sticky? :)

[Eusebios]

Shouldn't this be a sticky? :)
Done Matrona! Thanks for the bump/reminder! :)
His unworthy servant,
Eusebios.

[Mary of Bethany]

Thanks for making this a "sticky".


:thumbsup: This is great, and I managed to miss it first time around.

Hey, Tracy - don't feel bad - I've been attending DL for over 5 years, and I still don't know what things are called. This helps so much. Thanks!

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Typically, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is used on most Sundays. Does anyone know why this is? I know that sometimes the liturgy of St. Basil the Great is used, but I'm just wondering why we use St. John's the most. Is it just because it's so good?:)

[ExOrienteLux]

Maybe because it's shorter? I don't know.

[Fotina]

I would say Tradition.

Here's interesting article I found by Schmemann on Fast and Liturgy excerpt below:
http://www.schmemann.org/byhim/fastandliturgy.html

This expectation, this yearning, is now constantly fulfilled and answered in the sacrament of the Lord’s Presence, in the Eucharistic banquet. Living in time, in history, the Church reveals already the triumph of eternity, anticipates the glory of the Kingdom which is "to come." And this "fast — expectation" finds its consummation in the Sacrament, when in the same and eternal commemoration we represent, i.e., make present and real, both the first coming of Christ and His "parousia." Thus, fasting and Eucharist form, so to say, two complimentary and necessary poles of Church life, manifest the essential antinomy of her nature: expectation and possession, fullness and growth, eschatology and history.

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Here (http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7117.asp)is a good link to the historical foundations of the liturgy.

[The Virginian]

ON THE LITURGIES
Of Our Fathers among the Saints
Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia
And John chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

Saint Basil "the Great" (d.379)was bishop in Cappadocia, in Asia Minor . Saint John Chrysostom (d.407) was a presbyter in Antioch, and , on account of the eloquence of his homilies, was made bishop of Constantinople, the new capital of the empire. Together with Saint Gregory "the Theologian," they are known as the Three great Hierarchs and share a common feast on January 30.

In the early Church, many different liturgies were used, and each place had its own liturgical traditiion. When St. Basil wrote his liturgy, however, following the structure which the Church had known and used since New Testament times, its excellence was immediately recognized, and its adoption and use spread like wildfire. It soon became and remains today the standard Liturgy of the Orthodox Church.

St. John Chrysostom served St. Basil's Liturgy in Constantinople, and although he also brought with him a wealth of tradition from Antioch and integrated it therein. the Church of Constantinople took to its limit the ideal of having the entire community gathered together. The Emperor Justinian built the huge Cathedral of Hagia Sophia to accommodate 60,000 worshippers at once! the only problem was that people could not hear the service, despite amazing architectural feats, incliding a large central dome and many other acoustic elements. It was difficult for the priest to shout the whole service at the top of his lungs, especially if he became aged. The following developments occurred as a result: 1) deacons were delegated to say litanies and to proclaim the gospel from a raised platform (called the ambon) situated directly under the main dome;2) assuming the faithful were already familisar with the prayers and would be able to follow mentally, the celebrant would save his full voice for only the concluding line(exclamation) of each prayer;3) the [prayers of St. Basil's Liturgy were shortened.

It is theis abridged version that has come to be known as the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom- named for one of the Capuital's most famous bishops- although the two are really one Liturgy. They are so much alike that differences are almost completely limited to the priest's parts of the Anaphora, and it is possible to put the two side-by-side, as we have done here. By current custom, we use the St. john Chrysostom form of the Byzantine rite Liturgy routinely, reserving the full, St. Basilform, for ten solemn occassions annually.
NLH

The above text was taken from the INTRODUCTION of:
The Divine Liturgy , for Clergy and Laity
Text and Music For Congregational Participation


Including the Anaphora of St. Basil the Great
And the Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom

published 1996
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

This, I hope, should answer the questions about the two forms of the Divine Liturgy.

[The Virginian]

THE TYPOS IN THE ABOVE TEXT ARE ENTIRELY MY MISTAKES!!!



ASUAS

[jkotinek]

I had understood that the lineage was that St. John Chrysostom's Liturgy was an adaptation of St. Basil's, which was in turn an adaptation of St. James' (the brother of the Lord). Apparently there was a pluralistic abundance of types of liturgies until the popularity of St. John's caught on.

If I recall correctly, the Liturgy of St. James is now only used at a church in Jerusalem?

Anyhow...this is from goarch.org

The Various Divine Liturgies

THE FREE EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS used at the beginning by the Notable for the Divine Liturgy formed in later times the various types of the established Liturgies. They are many.

Some of them were created in the East, others in the West. But there are similarities which reflect one original source, that of the Apostles. There are the Syriac, Egyptian, Persian, Byzantine, Spanish and Roman types of Liturgies. Among them are those which are ascribed to Clement (see Decrees of Apostles, Book 8, Chpt. 5-15) and St. Jacob (James, very ancient), both in Greek.

Another, ascribed to St. Mark, is that of the Presanctified Gifts by St. Mark. Of the Byzantine type are those of Basil the Great, of St. Chrysostom, and that of the Presanctified Gifts. In Alexandria, the Liturgy of Mark was used yet in the 12th century as Theodore Balsomon instructed in the 32nd canon of the Synod in Troulo.

The Liturgy of the "Brother of God," James, is very ancient. The Penthecte Synod (Quinisext 692 A.D.) decreed that James handed down the mystic service (Divine Liturgy). It is true least in its basic prayers and diagram, which are in line with the same thoughts the 5th catechism of Cyril of Jerusalem. In the Eastern Orthodox Church this Liturgy of James is seldom officiated.

St. Basil's Liturgy is attested to not only by the Penthecte Synod (692 A.D.) but also by his friend Gregory of Nazianzos, who in his Funeral Oration said that Basil wrote "provisions of prayers, decencies of the Altar;" also by Leontios the Byzantios who put the Prayer of Oblation of Basil together with that of the Apostles; thirdly by the letter of the Monks of Skythia to the African Bishops (520 A.D.) reporting that almost the entire East repeated the Liturgy of St. Basil. Those are a few documents, among many others, establishing St. Basil's Liturgy as a genuine work. St. Basil's Liturgy is celebrated about 10 times a year, including the Sundays of Lent.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is very ancient, "known to the Church before the initiators Basil and Chrysostom" as Patriarch Michael (12th century) infers. It is ascribed rather to Apostle James or Peter. The information that Pope Gregory, the Dialogos, wrote this Liturgy is untrue for many reasons, among them that he did not know the Greek language. As for the use of this Liturgy the 52nd canon of the 6th Ecumenical Synod refers to it, decreeing that "in all the fasting days of Lent, save Saturday, Sunday and the day of Annunciation, the sacred celebration of the Presanctified Gifts should take place." This Liturgy is celebrated in connection with the vesper service during the evenings. It keeps its venerable character even now whein it is officiated during the mornings. It is called that of the Presanctified Gifts because the Sacred Gifts have been sanctified previously in the Liturgy of St. Basil or St. Chrysostom. This Liturgy is not officiated for the awesome change of the Gifts, but rather for the partaking of the Presanctified Gifts by the faithful Christians.

St. Chrysostom's Liturgy is well known and very common in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It may be celebrated every day of the year except the ones of St. Basil and those of the Presanctified Gifts, and on Good Friday. It is shorter than that of St. Basil and much reduced compared to St. James'. St. Chrysostom's Liturgy put an end to the free prayers and hymns in the officiation of the Holy Eucharist. This Liturgy placed a seal on the free forms of the re-enactment of the Mystic Supper of the Lord, depicting it in its finest form with a destiny of enduring far into the future. Despite the addition of hymns at later times, the St. Chrysostom Liturgy remains the same majestic religious masterpiece with grandeur and dramatic appeal matching the human expression and the divine act. St. Chrysostom (345-407A.D.) was an eloquent preacher, writer and one of the Fathers of the Orthodox Church, whose writings have been translated into many languages and have nourished the Christian Church throughout the centuries.

The Celebrant and Communicants during the Liturgy are bound to participate and respond to each other and among them selves in the name of the Lord. It is not a scene of a vigorous actor with an inactive audience. All of them have an important part in the Divine Liturgy, both for its officiation and for their participation in it. It is a corporal worship of the whole body of Christ - His Church. Each member has an active part in it. The faithful should be there prepared to act. Self-examination and purity of the body and soul constitute the good "soil" of the parable for accepting the seed of the word and the communion, and for giving hundredfold in one's response. The Divine Liturgy is not a mere prayer offered to God; it is a real communion with God. At this moment takes place an exchange of human and divine personalities, whatever the great difference between them.

[Mary of Bethany]

Thanks for all this good info, guys!

[Ravenonthecross]

thanks, i guess it's what i should expect. (about the OP)