What happens in the altar during the liturgy. Following the Divine Liturgy with explanations of the texts

The word "Liturgy" first appeared in Greece and meant a work done together. During the Divine service, the Sacrament of Communion is performed, when, after repentance and confession, Orthodox Christians partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus through the acceptance of pieces of prosphora and grape wine.

Christian Foundations of the Eucharist

Two thousand years ago, Christ at the Last Supper left the commandment to take communion in memory of Him, eating bread and wine. Modern Christians partake of His Blood through this sacrament performed during the Divine Liturgy.

The Divine Liturgy is the most important service

In former times, the Great Service was called mass, Catholics celebrate the sacrament at mass.

The first Christians in Jewish society were perceived as a sect, and therefore were persecuted. Carrying the gospel of Christ into the world, talking about the meaning of the Eucharist, the disciples of Jesus were constantly under attack from society, so their services were often held under the veil of secrecy.

After ministering to the pagans, the Apostle Paul defended the proposal to allow newly converted pagans to receive communion without observing the law of Moses on circumcision. At the first services, psalms were read almost daily, sermons were spoken, prayers were sung, and all services ended with the remembrance of the Last Supper. At common prayers, Christians broke bread and took wine every day, remembering the earthly life of the Savior.

Read about the Orthodox Church:

This action will later be called the Eucharist, which is the central part of the Divine ministry. Unlike Jews, Christians:

• refused blood sacrifices, accepting the one and final sacrifice, God's Lamb, Jesus Christ;
• can ordain any person on earth who has converted to Christianity, and not just the descendants of Aaron;
• the whole world is chosen as a place of service;
• prayer services can be held both during the day and at night;
• hours were introduced during the service.

Liturgical hours

Prayers, the reading time of which is determined by the time of day, are called hours. During these prayers, which last only a quarter of an hour, maximum concentration of attention is required from those present in order to escape from the bustle of the world and feel God's presence in its entirety.

Liturgical Hours are a special rite of prayer that is read in church at a certain time.

After the hours, which begin at six in the evening, the usual worship service takes place.

The Divine service begins with Vespers and Complines, which begin at 17.00 and 21.00, respectively.

The night service ends with Midnight, followed by Matins, which begins at 7 a.m. and includes the prayer of the First Hour. The third hour is read at 9 am, the Sixth is at 12.00, the day's prayers end with the Ninth hour at 3 pm. The Divine Liturgy is served from the Third to the Ninth Hours, although each church has its own schedule.

Fasting, holidays and special dates make adjustments to the schedule of prayer hours. For example, before Holy Resurrection, the night vigil combines such services as Vespers, Compline and Midnight Office.

Important! The Divine Liturgy and Eucharist are not celebrated on Good Friday.

Read about other days of Holy Week:

Sequence of the Divine Liturgy

The sacrament of Communion in Orthodoxy is called the Eucharist; the service at which Communion is celebrated is the Liturgy. This word in Greek consists of two components, the first means public, derived from part of the word “litos”, the second - “ergos” translated means service.

The liturgy, as a rule, is celebrated before lunch and consists of three parts:

• Proskomedia;
• Liturgy of the Catechumens;
• Liturgy of the Faithful.

The origins of the great ministry began in early Christianity, changes occurred in the church itself, but both the basis and symbolism remained unchanged.

Items for the Liturgy

Divine services during which the Eucharist is celebrated take place almost every day, with the exception of some days during Lent, Nativity, on Wednesday and Friday of the week preceding Easter abstinence and a few days, you can find out about them in the church schedule.

During the great service, the life of the Savior is remembered, from the Annunciation to His Resurrection.

Proskomedia

During the reading of the health and funeral prayer, the doors of the altar are closed, behind them the priest prepares bread and grape wine for the Eucharist.

When the Great Gifts are ready, the Third and Sixth Hours are read, remembering all the prophecies from the Old Testament about the birth of the Messiah and the Nativity of Jesus itself. During Proskomedia, the Saints, prophets and apostles who have gone to God are remembered.

Liturgy of the Catechumens

The unusual name of this service comes from the fact that not only people who accepted Orthodoxy through Baptism were allowed to attend it, but also those who were preparing to do so, the catechumens. This part of the Divine service is designed to prepare those present to receive the Holy Gifts.

Antiphonal singing begins the second part of the service with the singing of “The Only Begotten Son”, then the priests bring out the gospel, after which the singing continues, the prokeimenon and the sermon begins.

Liturgy of the Catechumens

The choir sings “Hallelujah” and verses from the Psalter, after which the sermon is read again, which ends with a litany - a prayer request. In this part, the service differs from the other two in that for each verse “Amen” or “Lord, have mercy” is heard, after which the believers make the sign of the cross.

On a note! Previously, the catechumens left the temple; currently they remain in place, but only as observers and not participants.

Liturgy of the Faithful

The Cherubic song sounds before the Great Procession, which opens the third part of the Divine Liturgy. Having opened the Royal Gates of the altar, the deacon, reading Psalm 50, makes a tour:

• throne;
• iconostasis;
• priest;
• parishioners

The Holy Gifts are transferred to the throne, after which the Royal Doors are closed and the “Creed” is read.

The Anaphora, read below, is the main part of the Liturgy. This is a Eucharistic prayer in which the Last Supper is remembered, the Holy Spirit is invoked and an intercessory petition is heard for the living and those who have gone to Heaven. During the anaphora, the divine transformation of bread and wine into the Holy Gifts takes place - the Body of the Lord and His Blood.

Anaphora is a Eucharistic prayer read by a priest

Communion begins after reading the Lord's Prayer "Our Father". Christians must fast for three days before receiving Communion. The Divine Liturgy is a symbol of the reproduction of the Savior’s life on earth; each action of the great service has its own meaning.

After the Eucharist, the deacon pronounces a short litany with thanksgiving to the Almighty for Communion, after which the parishioners are sent home in peace.

Varieties of Liturgies according to the Byzantine rite

Orthodox services include 5 great liturgies, only three of which are currently celebrated. Like the classic version described above, a service founded by John Chrysostom is held.

Ten times during the year the Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated, characterized by longer prayers.

During Lent, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, written by Gregory Dvoeslov, is heard. At this service there is no Proskomedia; the Eucharist is celebrated with previously consecrated bread and wine.

A number of parishes of the Orthodox Church abroad hold the Great Service of James, a distinctive feature of which is some rearrangement in the anaphora.

The Apostle Mark compiled the Liturgy, which received its veneration only in 2007 at the Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church; it is celebrated in some foreign Russian churches.

Explanation of the Divine Liturgy

5. “Let’s hear it” – a call to be especially attentive and focused before reading the Holy Scriptures

Liturgical texts

In addition to texts taken directly from the Bible (proverbs, psalms, hymns, etc.), we find two main types in divine services texts: prayers and chants. Prayers are usually recited or spoken by a bishop or priest and are the center or pinnacle of every liturgical action. They express the meaning of the entire service (prayers at Vespers and Matins) or, when it comes to the sacraments, they perform and perform the sacraments (the Great Eucharistic Divine Liturgy, the permissive prayer of the sacrament of repentance, etc.). Chants form the musical part of the service. considers singing an important expression of our worship (“I sing to my God, even as I am”) and prescribes a wide variety of songs for each service.

The main hymnographic types or forms are:

1. Troparion – a short song that expresses the main theme of the celebrated event (holiday, saint's day, etc.) and glorifies it. For example, the Easter troparion: “Christ is risen from the dead” or the troparion of the Exaltation of the Cross: “Save, O Lord, Thy people.”

2. Kontakion-the same as the troparion, the only difference is in their historical development. Kontakion was formerly a long liturgical poem of 24 ikos; gradually it fell out of liturgical use, surviving only in the form of a short song performed at Matins (after the 6th song of the canon), during the liturgy and on the clock. Every holiday has its own troparion and kontakion.

3. Stichera – belongs to the category of hymns that are sung at certain moments of the service, for example, stichera after the psalm “Lord, I have cried” at Vespers, at Matins – stichera on “Praise,” etc.

4. Canon – large hymnographic form; consists of 9 songs, including several troparia. There are canons for every day of the year, which are sung at Matins, for example, the Easter canon: “Resurrection Day,” the Christmas canon: “Christ is born, glorify.”

In total, there are eight main melodies, or voices for liturgical singing, so that each hymn is performed in a certain voice (for example, “Heavenly King” - on the 6th tone, the Christmas troparion: “Thy Nativity, O Christ God” - on the 4th, Easter canon - on the 1st, etc.). The voice indication always comes before the text. In addition, each week has its own voice, so that eight weeks form a “hymnographic” cycle. In the structure of the liturgical year, the counting of cycles begins on the day of Pentecost.

Holy Temple

The place of worship is called temple. The double meaning of the word “Church”, meaning both the Christian community and the house in which it worships God, already indicates the function and nature of the Orthodox church - to be a place of liturgy, a place where the community of believers reveals itself to be God’s, a spiritual Temple. Orthodox architecture therefore has a liturgical meaning, its own symbolism, which complements the symbolism of worship. It has had a long history of development and exists among different peoples in a wide variety of forms. But the general and central idea is that the temple is heaven on earth, the place where, through our participation in the liturgy of the Church, we enter into communion with future century, with the Kingdom of God.

The temple is usually divided into three parts:

1. Narthex, front part, theoretically in the center of it there should be a baptismal font. The Sacrament of Baptism opens the doors to the newly baptized, introducing him into the fullness of the Church. Therefore, Baptism first took place in the vestibule, and then the new member of the Church was introduced into the Church in a solemn procession.

2. The central part of the temple – this is the meeting place of all believers, the church itself. Here going in the unity of faith, hope and love, in order to glorify the Lord, listen to His teachings, accept His gifts, in order to be admonished, sanctified and renewed in the grace of the Holy Spirit. The icons of saints on the walls, candles and all other decorations have one meaning - the unity of the earthly Church with the Heavenly Church, or rather, their identity. Gathered in the temple, we are a visible part, a visible expression of the entire Church, the head of which is Christ, and the Mother of God, prophets, apostles, martyrs and saints are members, like us. Together with them we form one Body, we are raised to a new height, to the height of the Church in glory - the Body of Christ. This is why the Church invites us to enter the temple “with faith, reverence and fear of God.” For the same reason, the ancients did not allow anyone to attend services except the faithful, that is, those who had already been included in the heavenly reality of the Church by faith and baptism (cf. in the liturgy: “Catechumens, come forth”). To enter, to be together with the saints, is the greatest gift and honor, therefore the temple is the place where we truly accepted to the Kingdom of God.

3. Altar – place throne. The throne is the mystical center of the church. He depicts (reveals, realizes, reveals to us - this is the real meaning of the liturgical image): a) Throne of God to which Christ lifted us up by His glorious Ascension, to which we stand with Him in eternal worship; b) Divine meal to which Christ has called us and where He eternally distributes the food of immortality and eternal life; V) His Altar, where His complete offering is made to God and to us.

All three parts of the temple are decorated icons(images of Christ and saints). The word “decoration” is not entirely appropriate, since icons are more than “decoration” or “art.” They have a sacred and liturgical purpose, they testify to our real communion, unity with “heaven” - the spiritual and glorified state of the Church. Therefore, icons are more than images. According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, those whom they depict are truly spiritually present, they are spiritual reality, not just a symbol. Iconography – sacramental art, in which the visible reveals the invisible. This art has its own rules, or "canon", a special method and technique of writing, which have been developed over centuries to express transformed reality. Today people are once again striving to discover the true meaning of icons and to comprehend real iconographic art. But much still needs to be done to remove from our churches cloying and sentimental images that have nothing in common with the Orthodox understanding of the icon.

An Orthodox church, in its form, structure and decoration, is intended for liturgy. The “material” temple should help in building the spiritual temple - the Church of God. But, like everything else, it can never become an end in itself.

Priest and parish

In the Orthodox teaching about the Church (and, consequently, worship, which is the sacred act and expression of the Church), the clergy and the laity cannot be opposed to each other, but they cannot be mixed either. All are laity, the people of God, everyone in it is, first of all, a member of the church body, an active participant in common life. But within the church people there is order of services, Established by God for the correct life of the Church, for the preservation of unity, for fidelity to its Divine purpose. The main ministry is the priesthood, which continues in the Church the priestly ministry of Christ Himself in its three aspects: priesthood(Christ is the High Priest, Who offered Himself as a sacrifice to the Father for the salvation of all), teaching(Christ is the Teacher who teaches us the commandments of the new life) and shepherding(Christ is the Good Shepherd, knowing His sheep and calling each by name.) The unique priesthood of Christ is continued in the Church by the sacred hierarchy, which exists and operates in three ministries - bishop, priest and deacon. The fullness of the priesthood belongs to the bishop, who is the head of the Church. He shares his priestly duties with elders, whom he ordains to be his assistants in administration and to lead individual parishes. The bishop and priests are assisted by deacons who cannot perform the sacraments, but their purpose is to maintain a living connection between the hierarchy and the people. This hierarchical structure or order in the Church is expressed in its worship, each member participating in it according to his calling. The whole Church celebrates the liturgy, and in this common task everyone has his own purpose. It is fitting for a bishop (or priest) to lead the people, bring the prayer of the Church to God and teach the people Divine grace, teaching and gifts of God. When performing the liturgy, he reveals a visible icon of Jesus Christ - Who, as a Man, stands before God, uniting and representing us all, and Who, as God, gives us the Divine gifts of forgiveness, the grace of the Holy Spirit and the food of immortality. Therefore, there can be no liturgy and no service of the Church without a priest, since it is precisely his duty to change or transform the earthly and human assembly into the Church of God, continuing the mediatorial ministry of Christ in it. And there cannot be a liturgy without the people, the community, since it is their prayers and offerings that the priest brings to God, and for this he received the grace of Christ’s priesthood in order to transform the community into the Body of Christ.

“About floating, traveling... captives and about saving them...“remembers everyone who is in difficulty, sick and captive. She must demonstrate and fulfill Christ’s love and His commandment: “I was hungry and you fed Me, I was sick and in prison, and you visited Me” (). Christ identifies Himself with everyone who suffers, and the “test” of a Christian community is whether or not it places helping others at the center of its life.

“May we be delivered from all sorrow, anger and need...” We pray for our own peaceful life in this world and for Divine help in all our affairs.

“Intercede, save, have mercy and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.” The last petition helps to realize that “without Me you can do nothing...” (). Faith reveals to us how completely we depend on the grace of God, on His help and mercy.

“Having remembered our most holy, most pure, most blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, we will give ourselves and each other and our whole life to Christ our God.” The wonderful conclusion of our prayer is a confirmation of our unity in the Church with the Heavenly Church, a wonderful opportunity to give ourselves, each other and our whole lives to Christ.

With the help of the Great Litany, we learn to pray together with her, to perceive her prayer as our own, to pray with her as one whole. It is necessary for every Christian to understand that he comes to Church not for individual, private, separate prayer, but to be truly included in the prayer of Christ.

Antiphons and Entrance

The Great Litany is followed by three antiphon and three prayers. An antiphon is a psalm or song that is sung alternately by two choirs, or two parts of believers. Special antiphons are performed on special days, seasons, and holidays. Their general meaning is joyful praise. The first desire of the Church, gathered to meet the Lord, is joy, and joy is expressed in praise! After each antiphon, the priest reads a prayer. In the first prayer he confesses the incomprehensible glory and power of God, who has given us the opportunity to know Him and serve Him. In the second prayer he testifies that this His assembly of people and His property. In the third prayer, he asks God to grant us in this century, that is, in this life, the knowledge of the Truth, and in the coming century - eternal life.

3 . Reading Apostle.

4 . Singing "Hallelujah" And censing.

5 . Reading of the Gospel by a deacon.

6. Sermon priest

Thus, all members of the Church take part in the liturgy of the Word (laity, deacons, priests). The text of Holy Scripture is given to the whole Church, but its interpretation - the special “gift of teaching” - belongs to the priest. Liturgical preaching, which the Church Fathers considered an important and integral part of the Eucharist, is the main thing expression of teaching mission in the church. It cannot be neglected (because, we repeat, preaching is an organic part of preparation for the sacramental part of the Eucharist), one cannot deviate from its only goal: to convey to the people the Word of God, by which the Church lives and grows. It's also a mistake to preach after Eucharist, it essentially belongs to the first instructive part of the service and complements the reading of Holy Scripture.

The Liturgy of the Catechumens ends with a special litany, a prayer of “diligent supplication,” prayers for the catechumens, and the exclamation: “Catechumens, come forth.”

Sublime Litany

The Great Litany and its concluding prayer (“great petition”) differ from the Great Litany; its purpose is to pray for the actual and immediate needs of the community. In the Great Litany, the person praying is called to pray with the Church, combining his needs with the needs of the Church. Here the Church prays with each individual, mentioning the various needs of each and offering her motherly care. Any human need can be expressed here; at the end of the sermon, the priest can announce these special needs (illness of a parish member, or a “silver” wedding, or a school graduation, etc.) and asks to participate in prayers for them. This Litany should express the unity, solidarity and mutual care of all members of the parish.

Prayers for the Catechumens

Prayers for the Catechumens remind us of the golden time in the history of the Church, when mission, i.e., turning unbelievers to Christ, was considered necessary task Churches. “Go therefore, teach all nations” (). These prayers are a reproach to our parishes, immobile, closed and “self-centered” communities, indifferent not only to the general mission of the Church in the world, but even to the general interests of the Church, to everything that does not relate to the direct interests of the parish. Orthodox Christians think too much about “business” (building, investing, etc.) and not enough about mission (about the participation of each community in the common cause of the Church).

The expulsion of the catechumens - the last act - is a solemn reminder of the high calling, the great privilege of being among the faithful, those who, by the grace of Baptism and Confirmation, are sealed as members of the Body of Christ and as such admitted to participate in the great sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Liturgy of the Faithful

Liturgy of the Faithful begins immediately after the removal of the catechumens (in ancient times this was followed by the removal of the excommunicated, who were temporarily not admitted to Holy Communion) with two prayers of the faithful, in which the priest asks God to make the community worthy to offer the Holy Sacrifice: “Make us worthy to be.” At this time he reveals A ntimins on the Throne, meaning preparation for the Last Supper, Antimins (“instead of the table”) is a sign of the unity of each community with its bishop. It bears the signature of the bishop, who gives it to the priest and parish as permission to perform the sacrament. The Church is not a network of freely “united” parishes, it is an organic community of life, faith and love. And the bishop is the basis and guardian of this unity. According to St. Ignatius of Antioch, nothing in the Church should be done without the bishop, without his permission and blessing. “No one should do anything related to the Church without the bishop. Only that Eucharist should be considered true, which is celebrated by the bishop or by those to whom he himself grants it. Where there is a bishop, there must be a people, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church” (Epistle to Smyrna, ch. 8). Having holy orders, a priest is also representative bishop in the parish, and antimins- a sign that both the priest and the parish are under the jurisdiction of the bishop and, through him, in the living apostolic succession and unity of the Church.

Offering

The Cherubic hymn, the incense of the throne and those praying, the transfer of the Eucharistic gifts to the throne (Great Entrance) constitute the first main movement of the Eucharist: Anaphora, which is the sacrificial act of the Church, sacrificing our lives to God. We often talk about the sacrifice of Christ, but we so easily forget that the sacrifice of Christ requires and presupposes our own sacrifice, or rather, our participation in the sacrifice of Christ, since we are His Body and partakers of His Life. Sacrifice is a natural movement of love, which is the gift of giving oneself, renouncing oneself for the sake of another. When I love someone, my life V the one I love. I give my life to him - freely, joyfully - and this giving becomes the very meaning of my life.

The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the mystery of the perfect and absolute sacrifice, because it is the mystery of Absolute Love. God is Trinity because God exists. The entire Essence of the Father is eternally communicated to the Son, and the entire Life of the Son is in the possession of the Essence of the Father as His own, as the Perfect Image of the Father. And, finally, this is the mutual sacrifice of perfect love, this is the eternal Gift of the Father to the Son, the true Spirit of God, the Spirit of Life, Love, Perfection, Beauty, all the inexhaustible depth of the Divine Essence. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is necessary for a correct understanding of the Eucharist, and first of all its sacrificial property. God so loved the world that gave (donated) His Son to us to bring us back to Himself. The Son of God loved His Father so much that He gave Himself to Him. His whole life was a perfect, absolute, sacrificial movement. He accomplished it as the God-Man, not only according to His Divinity, but also according to His Humanity, which He assumed according to His Divine love for us. In Himself He restored human life to its perfection, as sacrifice of love for God, sacrifice not out of fear, not out of any “benefit”, but out of love. And finally, this perfect life as love, and therefore as a sacrifice, He gave to all who accept Him and believe in Him, restoring in them the original relationship with God. Therefore, the life of the Church, being His life in us and our life in Him, is always sacrificial, she is the eternal movement of love for God. Both the main state and the main action of the Church, which is the new humanity restored by Christ, is Eucharist – an act of love, gratitude and sacrifice.

We can now understand in this first stage of the Eucharistic movement that the Bread and Wine are in anaphora designate us, i.e. our whole life, our whole existence, the whole world created by God for us.

They are ours food, but the food that gives us life becomes our body. By sacrificing it to God, we indicate that our lives are “given” to Him, that we follow Christ, our Head, in His path of absolute love and sacrifice. We emphasize once again that our sacrifice in the Eucharist is not different from Christ’s sacrifice, this is not a new sacrifice. Christ sacrificed Himself, and His sacrifice - complete and perfect - does not require a new sacrifice. But this is precisely the meaning of our Eucharistic offering, that in it we are given the invaluable opportunity to “enter” Christ’s sacrifice, to partake of His only Sacrifice to God. In other words: His one and only perfect Sacrifice made it possible for us - the Church, His body - to be restored and re-accepted into the fullness of true humanity: a sacrifice of praise and love. The one who did not understand the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist, who came get, but not give, did not accept the very spirit of the Church, which, first of all, is the acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice and participation in it.

Thus, in the procession of offering, our very life is brought to the throne, offered to God in an act of love and worship. Truly, “The King of kings and Lord of lords comes to sacrifice and give food to the faithful” (Song of Great Saturday). This is His Entrance as Priest and Sacrifice; and in Him and with Him we are also on the paten, as members of His Body, partakers of His Humanity. “Let us now put aside every care of this life,” the choir sings, and, indeed, aren’t all our cares and worries taken up in this single and ultimate care, which transforms our entire life, in this path of love, which leads us to the Source, Giver and Content of Life?

Until now the movement of the Eucharist has been directed from us to God. This was the movement of our sacrifice. In the matter of bread and wine we brought myself God, sacrificing your life to Him. But from the very beginning this offering was the Eucharist of Christ, the Priest and Head of the new humanity, so Christ is our offering. Bread and wine - symbols of our life and therefore our spiritual sacrifice of ourselves to God - were also symbols of His Offering, His Eucharist to God. We were united with Christ in His only Ascension into Heaven, we were partakers of His Eucharist, being Him, His Body and His people. Now through Him and in Him is our offering accepted. The One Whom we sacrificed – Christ, we now receive: Christ. We have given our lives to Him and now we receive His life as a gift. We united ourselves with Christ, and now He unites Himself with us. The Eucharist now moves in a new direction: now the sign of our love for God becomes the reality of His love for us. in Christ gives Himself to us, making us participants in His Kingdom.

Consecration

The sign of this acceptance and completion is consecration. The path of the Eucharistic ascent ends offering of the Holy Gifts priest: “Thine from Thine bringing Thee...” and the prayer of epiclesis (Invocation of the Holy Spirit), in which we ask God to send down His Holy Spirit and create “This bread is the honorable Body of Thy Christ” and wine in the Chalice "by the precious Blood of Thy Christ" transubstantiating them: "Transformed by Your Holy Spirit."

Holy Spirit performs the action of God, or rather, He embodies this Action. He - Love, Life, Completeness. His descent at Pentecost means the fulfillment, completion and achievement of the entire history of Salvation, its completion. At His coming, the saving work of Christ is communicated to us as a Divine Gift. Pentecost is the beginning of the Kingdom of God, the new age, in this world. lives by the Holy Spirit, in her life everything is achieved by the gift of the Holy Spirit, who comes from God and abides in the Son, from whom we we receive revelation about the Son as our Savior and about the Father as our Father. His perfect action in the Eucharist, in the transubstantiation of our Eucharist into the Gift of Christ to us (hence in Orthodoxy there is a special attitude towards epiclesis, towards calling Holy Spirit) means that the Eucharist is accepted into the Kingdom of God, in the new age of the Holy Spirit.

The transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ takes place on the heavenly Throne in the Kingdom of God, which is beyond the time and “laws” of this world. Transubstantiation itself is the fruit of the Ascension of Christ and the participation of the Church in His Ascension, in His new life. All attempts to “explain” what happens in the Eucharist in terms of matter and “transformations” (the Western doctrine of transsubstance-transformation, unfortunately, sometimes passed off as Orthodox) or in terms of time (“the exact moment of transubstantiation”) are insufficient and futile precisely because that they apply the categories of “this world” to the Eucharist, while the very essence of the Eucharist is outside these categories, but introduces us to dimensions and concepts new century. Transubstantiation occurs not because of some miraculous power left by Christ to some people (priests), who can therefore perform a miracle, but because we are in Christ, i.e. in His Sacrifice of Love, Ascension throughout His entire path to the deification and transubstantiation of His Humanity by His Divine nature. In other words, because we are in His Eucharist and offer Him as our Eucharist to God. And when we So we do as He commanded us, we are accepted where He entered. And when we are accepted, “may you eat and drink at the table in My Kingdom” (). Since the Kingdom of Heaven is Himself, the Divine Life given to us at this heavenly meal, we accept His as new food for our new life. Therefore, the mystery of the Eucharistic Transubstantiation is the mystery of the Church itself, which belongs to the new life and new age in the Holy Spirit. For this world, for which the Kingdom of God is yet to come, for its “objective categories” bread remains bread, and wine remains wine. But in a wonderful, transformed reality Kingdom - open and revealed in the Church - they truly and absolutely the true Body and true Blood of Christ.

Intercessory Prayers

Now we stand before the Gifts in the complete joy of God's presence and prepare for the last act of the Divine Liturgy - the reception of the Gifts in communion. Them However, the last and necessary remains - petition. Christ eternally intercedes for the whole world. He Himself Intercession and Petition. By communing with Him, we, therefore, are also filled with the same love and, just as we accept Him, His service is intercession. It embraces all creation. Standing before the Lamb of God, Who takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world, we first of all remember the Mother of God, St. John the Baptist, apostles, martyrs and saints - countless witnesses new life in Christ. We intercede for them, not because they are in need, but because Christ, to whom we pray, is their Life, their Priest, and their Glory. is not divided into earthly and heavenly, she is one Body, and everything she does, she does on behalf of all Churches and For the whole Church. So prayer is not only an act of atonement, but also of glorifying God, “Wonderful in His Saints,” and of communion with the saints. We begin our prayer by remembering the Mother of God and the saints, because the presence of Christ is also their presence, and the Eucharist is the highest revelation of communion with the saints, of the unity and mutual dependence of all members of the Body of Christ.

Then we pray for the departed members of the Church, “for every righteous soul who has died in the faith.” How far from the true Orthodox spirit are those who consider it necessary to serve “private funeral liturgies” for the repose of individuals as often as possible, as if there could be anything private in the all-embracing Eucharist! It is time for us to realize that the Church should be included in the Eucharist for the dead, and not the other way around: subordinating the Eucharist to the personal needs of individuals. We want our own liturgy for our own needs... What a deep and tragic misunderstanding of the liturgy, as well as the real needs of those for whom we want to pray! Him or her in their current in the state of death, separation and sadness, they especially need to be accepted again and again into that one Eucharist of the Church, into the unity of love, which is the basis of their participation, their belonging to the true life of the Church. And this is achievable in the Eucharist, which reveals. in a new century, in a new life. The Eucharist crosses the hopeless line between the living and the dead, because it is higher than the line between the present age and the age to come. For all “have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (); on the other hand, we are all we live, because the life of Christ is given to us in the Church. Deceased members of the Church are not only the “objects” of our prayers, but by virtue of their membership in the Church they live in the Eucharist, they pray, they participate in the liturgy. Finally, no one can “order” (or buy!) the Liturgy, since the only One who commands is Christ, and he ordered To the Church to offer the Eucharist as an offering of the Whole Body and always “for everyone and everything.” So, although we need liturgy to remember “everyone and everything,” its only real purpose is to unite “everyone and everything” in the love of God.

“About the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church... about our God-protected country, its authorities and army...”: for all people, about all needs and circumstances. Read in the liturgy of St. Basil the Great prayer of petition, and you will understand the meaning of intercession: the gift of Divine love, which makes us understand, at least for a few minutes, the prayer of Christ, the love of Christ. We understand that real sin and the root of all sin is selfishness, and the liturgy, capturing us in its movement of sacrificial love, reveals to us that true religion, among other things, gives this new amazing opportunity to intercede and pray for others, behind everyone. In this sense, the Eucharist is truly a sacrifice offered for everyone and everything and intercessions are its logical and necessary conclusion.

“First, draw forth, O Lord, the great Master... the right of those who rule, the Word of Thy truth.”

“The Church is in the bishop and the bishop is in the Church,” according to the words of St. Cyprian of Carthage, and when we pray for the bishop for the real welfare of the Church, for its standing in divine truth, for the Church to be the Church of the presence of God, His healing Power, His Love, His Truth. And it would not, as often happens, be a selfish, self-centered community, protecting its human interests instead of the divine purpose for which it exists. The Church so easily becomes an institution, a bureaucracy, a fund for collecting money, a nationality, a public association, and these are all temptations, deviations, perversions of that Truth, which alone should be the criterion, measure, authority for the Church. How often do people, “hungry and thirsty for righteousness,” do not see Christ in the Church, but see in it only human pride, arrogance, self-love and the “spirit of this world.” All this is the Eucharist judges and condemns. We cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, we cannot stand before the Throne of His presence, sacrifice our lives, praise and worship to God, we cannot be if we have not condemned the spirit of the “prince of this world” in ourselves. Otherwise, what we accept will not lead to our salvation, but to our condemnation. There is no magic in Christianity, and what saves is not belonging to the Church, but the acceptance of the Spirit of Christ, and this Spirit will condemn not only individuals, but congregations, parishes, dioceses. A parish as a human institution can easily replace Christ with something else - the spirit of worldly success, human pride and the "achievements" of the human mind. Temptation is always there; it tempts. And then the one whose sacred duty is always to preach the Word of Truth is obliged to remind the parish of temptations, must condemn in the name of Christ everything that is incompatible with the Spirit of Christ. It is for the clergy to be given courage, wisdom, love and faithfulness that we pray in this prayer.

“And grant us with one mouth and one heart to glorify and glorify Your most honorable and magnificent Name...” One mouth, one heart, one redeemed humanity restored to the love and knowledge of God - this is the ultimate goal of the liturgy, fetus Eucharist: “And may the mercies of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you all...” This ends the “second movement”, when He gives Himself to us in Yours incomprehensible mercy. The Eucharistic is over, and we now come to execution everything that the Eucharist has revealed to us, for Communion, that is, for our communion in real.

Communion

Actually, communion includes (1) a preparatory, secret prayer, (2) the Lord’s Prayer, (3) the offering of the Holy Gifts, (4) the crushing of the Holy Bread, (5) the infusion of “warmth” (i.e. hot water) into Cup, (6) communion of the clergy, (7) communion of the laity.

(1) Preparatory secret prayer: “We offer you our entire life and hope.” In both liturgies – St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great - this prayer emphasizes that the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is the goal of our life and hope; on the other hand, it expresses the fear that we may receive communion unworthily; communion will be “to condemnation” for us. We pray that the sacrament “The imams of Christ are living in our hearts and we will be the Temple of Your Holy Spirit.” This expresses the main idea of ​​the entire liturgy, again confronting us with the meaning of this Sacrament, this time paying special attention to private the nature of the perception of the Mystery, on responsibility, which she imposes on those who partake of her.

We, as the Church of God, were given and commanded to “do” all this, to accomplish the sacrament of Christ’s Presence and the Kingdom of God. Although, as people who form the Church, as individuals and as a human community, we are sinful, earthly, limited, unworthy people. We knew this before the Eucharist (see prayers of the synaxis and prayers of the faithful), and we remember this now when we stand before the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. More than ever we recognize the need for our redemption, healing, cleansing, by being in the glory of Christ's presence.

The Church has always emphasized the importance of personal preparation for communion (see prayers before communion), since each communicant needs to see and evaluate himself, his entire life, when approaching the Sacrament. This preparation should not be neglected; The prayer before communion reminds us of this: “may the communion of Your Holy Mysteries not be for judgment or condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.”

(2) The Lord's“Our Father” is a preparation for Communion in the deepest sense of the word. Whatever human efforts we make, whatever the degree of our personal preparation and purification, nothing, absolutely nothing can make us worthy Communion, that is, truly ready to receive the Holy Gifts. Anyone who approaches Communion with the consciousness of being right does not understand the spirit of the liturgy and the entire church life. No one can destroy the gap between the Creator and creation, between the absolute perfection of God and the created life of man, nothing and no one except the One who, being God, became Man and united two natures in Himself. The prayer that He gave to His disciples is both the expression and the fruit of this unique and saving action of Christ. This His prayer, for He is the Only Begotten Son of the Father. And He gave it to us because He gave Himself to us. And in No His Father became sewn by the Father, and we can address Him in the words of His Son. Therefore we pray: “And grant us, O Master, with boldness and without condemnation to dare to call upon You, the Heavenly God of the Father, and say the words...” The Lord's Prayer is for the Church and people of God, redeemed by Him. In the early Church it was never communicated to the unbaptized, and even its text was kept secret. This prayer is a new gift prayers in Christ, the expression of our own relationship with God. This gift is our only door to Communion, the only basis for our participation in the holy, and therefore our main preparation for Communion. To the extent that we accepted this prayer, we made it his, we are ready for Communion. This is the measure of our unity with Christ, our being in Him.

“Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done...” To comprehend everything that is affirmed in these solemn words, to realize the absolute concentration of our entire life in God, expressed in them, to accept the will of Christ as my - this is the purpose of our life in Christ and the life of Christ in us, the condition of our participation in His Cup. Personal preparation leads us to understand this final preparation, and the Lord's Prayer is the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer, transforming us into communicants Daily bread.

(3) “Peace to all,” - says the clergyman and then: “Bow your heads to the Lord.” Communion, like the whole life of the Church, is the fruit peace, achieved by Christ. Bowing the head is the simplest, although significant act of worship, the expression of the very obedience. We receive communion in obedience and by obedience. We have no right to Communion. It exceeds all our desires and possibilities. It is a free gift from God and we must receive command Accept him. False piety is very common, because of which people refuse Communion due to their unworthiness. There are priests who openly teach that the laity should not receive communion “too often,” at least “once a year.” This is even sometimes considered an Orthodox tradition. But this is false piety and false humility. In reality this is - human pride. For when a person decides how often he should partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, he sets himself as a measure of both the Divine Gifts and his dignity. This is a crafty interpretation of the words of the Apostle Paul: “Let man test himself” (). The Apostle Paul did not say: “Let him examine himself, and if he is dissatisfied with himself, let him abstain from Communion.” He meant just the opposite: Communion has become our food, and we must live worthy of it so that it does not become a condemnation for us. But we are not free from this condemnation, therefore the only correct, traditional and truly Orthodox approach to Communion is obedience, and this is so well and simply expressed in our preparatory prayers: “I am not worthy, Lord Lord, to come under the roof of my soul, but because You want, as the Lover of Mankind, to live in me, I boldly approach: You command...”. Here is obedience to God in the Church, and commands the celebration of the Eucharist, and will be a great step forward in our understanding of the Church when we understand that the “Eucharistic individualism” that has turned ninety percent of our liturgies into a Eucharist without communicants is the result of perverted piety and false humility.

As we stand with our heads bowed, the priest reads a prayer in which he asks God to grant fruit Communion to each according to his need (in the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom). “Bless, sanctify, keep, establish, bowing your head to You”(liturgy of St. Basil the Great). Each communion is both the end of our movement towards God and the beginning of our renewed life, the beginning of a new path in time, in which we need Christ’s presence for guidance and sanctification of this path. In another prayer he asks Christ: “Look, Lord Jesus Christ. .. stay here invisibly for us. And grant us, by Your sovereign hand, Your Most Pure Body and Honest Blood, and by us, to all people...” The priest takes the Divine bread into his hands and, lifting it, says: "Holy of Holies." This ancient rite is the original form of the call to Communion; it accurately and concisely expresses the antinomy, the supernatural nature of Communion. It forbids anyone who is not holy to partake of Divine Holiness. But no one is holy except the Saint, and the choir answers: "One is Holy, One is Lord." And yet come and receive, because He He sanctified us with His holiness, made us His holy people. Time and time again, the mystery of the Eucharist is revealed as the mystery of the Church - the mystery of the Body of Christ, in which we eternally become what we are called to be.

(4) In the first centuries, she called the entire Eucharistic service “the breaking of bread,” because this rite was central to the liturgical service. The meaning is clear: the same bread, which is given to many, is the One Christ, who became the life of many, uniting them in Himself. “But unite us all, who partake of the one Bread and Cup, to one another in one communion of the Holy Spirit.”(liturgy of St. Basil the Great, prayer for the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts). Then the priest, breaking the bread, says: “The Lamb of God is broken and divided, broken and undivided, always eaten and never consumed, but sanctifying those who partake.” This is the only source of life that leads everyone to it and proclaims the unity of all people with one Head - Christ.

(5) Taking one particle of the Holy Bread, the priest lowers it into the Holy Chalice, which means our communion of the Body and Blood of the Risen Christ, and pours “warmth” into the Chalice, i.e. hot water. This rite of the Byzantine liturgy is the same symbol life.

(6) Now everything is ready for the last act of the Eucharist - Communion. Let us emphasize again that in the early Church this act was truly the performance of the entire service, the sealing of the Eucharist, our offering, sacrifice and thanksgiving through the participation of the community in it. Therefore, only those who were excommunicated did not receive communion and had to leave the Eucharistic Assembly with the catechumens. Everyone received the Holy Gifts. They transformed her into the Body of Christ. We cannot go into here an explanation of why and when the church-wide liturgical understanding of Communion was replaced by an individualistic understanding, how and when the community of believers became a “non-communicant” community, and why the idea participation, central to the teaching of the Church Fathers, was replaced by the idea presence. This would require a separate study. But one thing is clear: wherever and whenever spiritual revival arose, it was always born and led to a “thirst and hunger” for real participation in the Mystery of Christ’s Presence. We can only pray that in the current crisis, which has deeply affected both the world and the world, Orthodox Christians will see in this the true center of all Christian life, the source and condition for the revival of the Church.

“For the remission of sins and eternal life...” - says the priest, teaching the Gifts to himself and the faithful. Here we find two main aspects, two actions of this Communion: forgiveness, acceptance again into communion with God, admission of fallen man into Divine love - and then the gift of eternal life, the kingdom, the fullness of the “new age”. These two basic needs of man are fulfilled without measure, satisfied by God. Christ brings my life into His and His life into mine, filling me with His love for the Father and for all His brothers.

In this short essay it is impossible even to summarize what the Church Fathers and saints said about their Communion experience, even to mention all the wonderful fruits of this communion with Christ. At the very least, we will point out the most important areas of reflection about the sacrament and efforts to follow the teachings of the Church. The sacrament is given, first, for the remission of sins, and that's why it sacrament of reconciliation, accomplished by Christ through His Sacrifice and given forever to those who believe in Him. Thus, Communion is main food a Christian, strengthening his spiritual life, healing his illness, affirming his faith, making him able to lead a true Christian life in this world. Finally, Communion is a “sign of eternal life”, an expectation of joy, peace and the fullness of the Kingdom, anticipation his Light. Communion is at the same time participation in the suffering of Christ, an expression of our readiness to accept His “way of life,” and participation in His victory and triumph. It is a sacrificial meal and a joyful feast. His Body is broken and Blood is shed, and by communing with Them, we accept His Cross. But “through the Cross joy came into the world,” and this joy is ours when we eat at His table. Communion is given to me personally in order to make me a “member of Christ,” to unite me with all who accept Him, to reveal to me the Church as a unity of love. It unites me with Christ, and through Him I am in communion with all. This is the sacrament of forgiveness, unity and love, the sacrament of the Kingdom.

The clergy receive communion first, then the laity. In modern practice, the clergy - bishops, priests and deacons - receive Holy Communion separately from the Body and Blood at the altar. The laity receive the Holy Gifts at the royal doors from a spoon after the priest has put the Particles of the Lamb into the Chalice. The priest calls the faithful, saying: “Draw near with the fear of God and faith,” and the communicants approach the Divine Table one after another, crossing their arms over their chests. And again procession – response to Divine command and invitation.

After Communion, the last part of the liturgy begins, the meaning of which can be defined as return Churches from heaven to earth, from the Kingdom of God through time, space and history. But we return completely different than we were when we began the path to the Eucharist. We have changed: “By seeing the true Light, by receiving the Heavenly Spirit, I have acquired true faith...” We sing this chant after the priest places the Chalice on the Throne and blesses us: “Save Thy people and bless Thy inheritance.” We came as his people, but we were wounded, tired, earthly, sinful. Over the past week we have experienced the hardships of temptation, we have learned how weak we are, how hopelessly tied to the life of “this world.” But we came with love, and hope, and faith in the mercy of God. We came thirsty and hungry, poor and miserable, and Christ received us, accepted the offering of our miserable life and introduced us into His Divine Glory and made us participants in His Divine Life. “I see the true Light...” We put aside for a while "all cares of this life" and allowed Christ to introduce us in His Ascension to His Kingdom in His Eucharist. Nothing was required of us except the desire to join Him in His Ascension and the humble acceptance of His redeeming love. And He encouraged and comforted us, He made us witnesses of what He had in store for us, He changed our vision so that we saw heaven and earth full of His Glory. He filled us with the food of immortality, we were at the eternal feast of His Kingdom, we tasted joy and peace in the Holy Spirit: “We have received the Heavenly Spirit...” And now time is returning. The time of this world has not yet ended. The hour of our transition to the Father of all life has not yet come. And Christ sends us back as witnesses of what we have seen, to proclaim His Kingdom and continue His work. We must not fear: we are His people and His inheritance; He is in us and we are in Him. We will return to the world knowing that He is near.

The priest raises the Chalice and proclaims: “Blessed are we always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.” He blesses us with the Cup, signifying and assuring us that the risen Lord is with us now, always and forever.

“Let our lips be filled with Your praise, O Lord,” answers - “Keep us in Your Holiness.” Preserve us in the days to come in this wonderful state of holiness and sanctification. Now as we return to daily life, grant us the power to change it.

There follows a short litany and thanks for the Gifts received: “Straighten our path, establish everything in Your fear, guard our belly, establish our feet...” The return is accomplished when the priest leaves the altar with the words: “We will depart in peace!” joins those praying and reads the prayer behind the pulpit. Like at the beginning of the liturgy entrance the priest to the altar and the ascent to the Holy See (high place) expressed the Eucharistic movement up, so now the return to the believers expresses care, return of the Church to the world. This also means that the priest's eucharistic movement is over. Fulfilling the Priesthood of Christ, the priest led us to the heavenly Throne, and from this Throne he made us partakers of the Kingdom. He was to fulfill and realize the eternal mediation of Christ.

Through His humanity we rise to heaven, and through His Divinity God comes to us. Now all this is accomplished. Having accepted the Body and Blood of Christ, seeing the Light of Truth and becoming partakers of the Holy Spirit, we are truly His people and His property. The priest at the Throne has nothing more to do, because she herself has become the Throne of God and the Ark of His Glory. Therefore, the priest joins the people and leads them as shepherd and teacher back into the world to fulfill the Christian mission.

When we're ready depart in peace, that is, in Christ and with Christ, we ask in our last prayer that fullness of the Church, so that the Eucharist, brought by us and of which we partook and which again revealed the fullness of Christ's presence and life in the Church, will be observed and preserved intact until we come together again and, in obedience to the Lord of the Church, again begin our ascent into His Kingdom, which will reach its fulfillment at the Coming of Christ in Glory.

There is no better conclusion to this brief study of the Divine Liturgy than the prayer of St. Basil the Great, read by the priest during the consumption of the Holy Gifts: “The mystery of Thy divine vision has been fulfilled and perfected, according to our strength, O Christ our God; For I have the memory of Your death, having seen the image of Your Resurrection, I am filled with Your endless food, so that in the future I will be honored with the grace of Your beginningless Father, and Your Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen".

And when we leave the church and re-enter our daily life, the Eucharist remains with us as our secret joy and confidence, a source of inspiration and growth, victory overcoming evil, Presence, which makes our whole life life in Christ.

Divine services in the Russian Orthodox Church are held according to the Jerusalem Charter, accepted one and a half thousand years ago. The charter specifies the procedure or succession Liturgy, Vespers, Matins and small services of the daily circle. In general, this is a complex system, the deep knowledge of which is available only to professionals. But the Church recommends that every Christian study the main stages of worship in order to discover the spiritual wealth accumulated over the centuries.

Word "liturgy" means common service, a gathering of believers for the sake of meeting God. This is the most important Christian service, when the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ takes place. "We are participating in the supernatural“- this is how St. John of Damascus speaks about this.

For the first time, the Liturgy was celebrated by Christ Himself on the eve of suffering. Having gathered in the upper room for a festive meal, His disciples prepared everything for performing the Passover rituals then accepted among the Jews. These rituals were symbolic, reminding the participants of the meal of liberation from Egyptian slavery. But when the rite of the Passover meal was fulfilled by Christ, the symbols and prophecies turned into fulfilled Divine promises: man became free from sin and again found heavenly bliss.

Thus, originating from the ancient Jewish rite, the Christian liturgy in general resembles its continuation, and the entire daily cycle of services, starting with Vespers, is a preparation for its celebration.

In modern church practice, the liturgy is a morning (according to the time of day) service. In the ancient church it was performed at night, which still happens today on the days of the great holidays of Christmas and Easter.

Development of the liturgical order

The order of the first Christian liturgies was simple and resembled a friendly meal, accompanied by prayer and remembrance of Christ. But soon it became necessary to distinguish the liturgy from ordinary dinner parties in order to instill in the faithful reverence for the Sacrament being performed. Gradually, in addition to the psalms of David, it included hymns composed by Christian authors.

With the spread of Christianity to the east and west, worship began to acquire the national characteristics of the people who accepted the new faith. The liturgies began to differ from each other so much that decisions of councils of bishops were required to establish a single sequence.

Currently, there are 4 main liturgical rites, compiled by the Holy Fathers and celebrated in the Orthodox Church:

• - is performed daily, excluding the statutory days of the Liturgy of Basil the Great, and during the Lenten Triodion - on Saturdays and Palm Sunday.
• Basil the Great- 10 times a year: on the author’s memorial day, both Christmas Eves, 5 times during Lent and 2 times during Holy Week.
• Gregory Dvoeslov or the Presanctified Gifts- served during Lent on weekdays.
• Apostle James the Greek- performed in some Russian parishes on the day of remembrance of the Apostle.

In addition to the listed liturgies, there are special rites in the Ethiopian, Coptic (Egyptian), Armenian and Syrian churches. The Catholic West, as well as Catholics of the Eastern Rite, have their own liturgies. In general terms, all liturgies are similar to each other.

The order compiled by St. John Chrysostom, used in the practice of the Church since the 5th century. In time it is younger than the creation of Basil the Great. For the parishioner, the liturgies of both authors are similar and differ only in time. The Liturgy of St. Basil is longer due to the length of the secret priestly prayers. Contemporaries of John Chrysostom argued that he compiled the shorter rite out of love for the common people, burdened by long services.

The abbreviated following of John Chrysostom quickly spread throughout Byzantium and over time developed into the rite of the most famous Divine Liturgy. The text with explanations given below will help the laity understand the meaning of the main points of the service, and choir singers and readers will help avoid common mistakes.

Liturgy usually begins at 8–9 a.m. hours three and six are read in front of it, recalling the trial of Pilate and the crucifixion of Christ. When the hours are read on the choir, a proskomedia is celebrated in the altar. The serving priest prepared in the evening, reading a long rule, in order to begin the throne the next day.

The service begins with the exclamation of the priest “Blessed is the Kingdom...”, and after the response of the choir the Great Litany immediately follows. Then the antiphons begin, figurative, festive or daily.

Antiphons Fine

Bless the Lord, my soul.

Small Litany:

Praise the Lord, my soul.

The first two hymns symbolize the prayer and hope of Old Testament man, the third - the preaching of the revealed Christ. Before the Blessed Ones the song “The Only Begotten Son” is heard, the authorship of which is attributed to Emperor Justinian (6th century). This moment of the service reminds us of the Nativity of the Savior.

Third Antiphon, 12 Beatitudes:

In Your Kingdom, remember us, Lord...

The Rule suggests interspersing the verses of the beatitudes with the troparions of the canons read at Matins. Each category of service has its own number of troparions:

• sixfold - from “Blessed are the peacemakers” to 6;
• polyeleos or vigil of the saint - at 8, with “Blessed are the merciful”;
• Sunday - at 10, with “Blessed are the Meeks.”

In churches with daily liturgy on weekdays, you can hear the Daily Antiphons. The texts of these chants represent verses from the psalms, interspersed with a chorus dedicated to the Lord and the Mother of God. There are also three daily antiphons; they have a more ancient origin. Over time, they are increasingly being replaced by Fine.

On the days of the Lord's holidays, Festive antiphons are sounded, similar in structure to everyday antiphons. These texts can be found in the Menaion and Triodion, at the end of the feast service.

Small entrance

From this moment the Liturgy itself begins. Priests singing the entrance verse “Come, let us worship...” enter the altar with the Gospel, that is, with Christ Himself. The saints invisibly follow them, so immediately after the entrance verse the choir sings troparia and kontakia to the saints, prescribed according to the Rule.

Trisagion

The singing of the Trisagion was introduced in the 6th century. According to legend, this song was first heard by a young resident of Constantinople performed by an angelic choir. At this time, the city suffered from a strong earthquake. The gathered people began to repeat the words the youth had heard, and the elements subsided. If the previous entrance verse, “Come, let us worship,” referred only to Christ, then the Trisagion is sung to the Holy Trinity.

Prokeimenon and reading of the Apostle

The order of reading the Apostle at the Liturgy is regulated by the Charter and depends on the rank, connection of services and holiday periods. When preparing readings, it is more convenient to use the church calendar or “Liturgical Instructions” for the current year. And also prokeemnas with alleluaries are given in Appendix to the Apostle in several sections:

If you carefully study the composition of the book of the Apostle, preparing the readings will take a little time. There can be no more than two prokims, and no more than three readings.

The sequence of exclamations at the reading of the Apostle:

• Deacon: Let's take a look.
• Priest: Peace to all.
• Reader of the Apostle: And your spirit. Prokeimenon voice... (voice and text of the prokeimenon)
• Chorus: prokeimenon.
• Reader: verse.
• Chorus: prokeimenon.
• Reader: the first half of the prokeimna.
• Choir: finishes singing the prokeimenon.
• Deacon: Wisdom.

The reader proclaims the title of the apostolic reading. It is important to pronounce the inscriptions correctly:

• Reading of the Acts of the Saints.
• Reading of the Council Epistle of Petrov (Jacob).
• To the Corinthians (Hebrews, Timothy, Titus) reading of the epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul.

Deacon: Let's listen (listen!)

It is recommended to read the text in a chant, gradually increasing the intonation to end the reading on a high note. If the charter prescribes two readings, then at the end of the first the reader returns the last syllable to a low note. The text from the Acts begins with the words “In those days”, the Council Epistles - “Brotherhood”, the messages to one person - “Child Titus” or “Child Timothy”.

Priest: Peace to you who honor!

Reader: and to your spirit.

Hallelujah and Gospel reading

Despite the fact that after the Apostle the reader immediately pronounces Hallelujah, this exclamation does not complete the reading of the Apostle, but is a prokemene to the Gospel. Therefore, in ancient liturgies, Alleluia was said by the priest. Order:

• Deacon: Wisdom.
• Reader: Hallelujah (3 times).
• Choir: repeats hallelujah.
• Reader: verse of alleluaria.
• Choir: hallelujah (3 rubles)

After the second verse of the alleluaria, he goes to the altar, holding the closed book of the Apostle above his head. At this time, the deacon, having installed a lectern opposite the Royal Doors, places the liturgical Gospel on it vertically.

The statutory shouts follow priest and deacon before reading the Gospel.

Deacon: Bless, O Master, the evangelist, the holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew (John, Luke, Mark).

The name of the Evangelist is pronounced in the genitive case, since the blessing is asked not for the author of the Gospel, but for the deacon.

The Gospel is read like the Apostle, beginning with the words “At the time it is” or “The Lord spoke to His disciple,” depending on the plot. At the end of the reading, the priest blesses the deacon with the words “ Peace be with you who preach the good news!"In contrast to the words addressed to the reader of the Apostle - " honoring" After the final chant " Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee“The priest’s sermon may follow, explaining what he heard.

The word “sugubaya” means “double.” This name comes from the double appeal to God’s mercy at the beginning of the litany, as well as the intense prayer of the believers. Usually two special litanies are pronounced - the health litany and the funeral litany. At this moment, in modern practice, the notes with names submitted “for mass” are read. Special petitions may be inserted for those traveling, sick people, etc.

With the exception of the first two petitions of the health litany, the choir responds to each petition with three times “Lord have mercy.”

Litany of the Catechumens and the Faithful

A series of short petitions - a prayer for those preparing for baptism. According to ancient tradition, they could not attend the main part of the liturgy - the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. After hearing the introductory part - the Liturgy of the Catechumens - all those who were not baptized left the church.

Nowadays p The announcement period does not last long or completely absent. Therefore, the litany should be understood as a reminder of ancient piety and a serious attitude towards the Church Sacraments.

After the litany about the catechumens and their departure, two more litanies follow, the first of which in text resembles the Great Litany. She begins the Liturgy of the Faithful. Following Ap. Jacob in this place pronounces the solemn prokeimenon “The Lord reigned in beauty, clothed with beauty”; in Chrysostom it is transferred to the proskomedia.

Cherubic Hymn, Great Entrance

The text of the Cherubic Song, which begins the Liturgy of the Faithful, is usually written according to the notes. It is sung in a chant because the priest and deacon must have enough time for incense, special prayer and transfer of the prepared Holy Gifts (not yet combined Bread and Wine) from the altar to the altar. The path of the clergy passes through the pulpit, where they stop to pronounce commemorations.

Deacon: Let us love one another, that we may be of one mind.

Chorus: Father and Son and Holy Spirit, Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible.

In ancient times, with the exclamation “Let us love...” there was mutual kissing of parishioners as a symbol of the unity of Christians in the image of the Holy Trinity. Men and women greeted each other separately, since to maintain decency they were in different parts of the temple. In modern tradition, kissing occurs only between clergy at the altar.

Symbol of faith

The twelve verses of the Creed are performed by the entire congregation of Christians under the leadership of the deacon. In this way, the faithful confirm their confession and agreement with the dogmas of the Church. At this time, the priest fans the Holy Gifts with a covering, which reminds of the imminent descent of the Holy Spirit and the coming miracle of their transformation into the Body and Blood of Christ.

Eucharistic canon

Deacon: Let's become kind, let's become fearful...

Chorus: Mercy of the world, Victim of praise.

The texts of the Eucharistic Canon for the choir are written according to the notes for drawn-out and touching singing. At this time, the main action of the liturgy takes place - the Transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. Parishioners pray standing motionless or on their knees. No walking or talking is allowed.

Worthy of eating and commemoration

The Eucharistic canon is followed by a hymn dedicated to the Mother of God. In the rites of John Chrysostom this is “It is worthy to eat,” which is replaced on the days of the twelve feasts deserving people. The texts of the saints are given in the menaia for the day of the holiday and represent the irmos of the ninth song of the canon with a chorus.

During the performance of “It’s Worthy to Eat” the priest commemorates the saints of the day and deceased Christians.

Priest: First of all, God remember...

Chorus: And everyone and everything.

Preparation for Communion

After the Eucharistic canon, the litany of petition is heard again, joined by the popular singing of the “Our Father.” Christians pray with the words commanded by the Lord Himself so that they can soon begin Communion. The first to receive the Holy Gifts will be the clergy at the altar.

The exclamation “Holy to Holies” follows, meaning that the Shrine is ready and is presented for the “saints”, in this case, for the parishioners preparing for communion. The choir responds on behalf of the people, “The Lord Jesus Christ alone is Holy...”, recognizing the unworthiness of even the most righteous person before God. Following this, a sacramental verse is chanted, intended for the priests receiving the Gifts.

The texts of the sacramental verses are given in the menaion for each service, as well as in the Apostle's Appendix, after the prokemmon. There are only seven verses for each day of the week and special ones for the twelve holidays.

In modern tradition the pause during the communion of the priests is filled with a “concert” - an author’s piece of music on the theme of the day, performed by the choir. It is also appropriate to read prayers for Communion in order to prepare the laity to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. The reading continues until the opening of the royal doors.

The deacon is the first to leave the holy gates, holding the Chalice with the Gifts in front of him. Lay people preparing for communion are allowed to pass closer to the salt. They stand with their arms crossed over their chests, palms facing their shoulders. After the deacon’s exclamation, “Come with the fear of God and faith!” the priest, who followed the deacon, reads one of the prayers for communion, “I believe, Lord, and I confess...”, approaching the Chalice, the laity mentally read the troparion of Great Thursday, “Thy Secret Supper...”.

Babies are brought in first, children are brought in first. Then the men pass, the women last. Immediately after receiving the Holy Mysteries, parishioners go to a table on which a kettle of water is prepared. Drinking - sweetish water, tinted with wine or juice, is used to swallow all the smallest particles of the Body and Blood of Christ.

At this moment, you need to especially watch out for small children so that they do not spit out the Holy Mysteries. Dropping a Particle is a terrible sin of carelessness. If this happens, you must inform the priest, who will take the measures prescribed in such cases by church rules.

During communion the Easter sacrament verse is sung “Receive the Body of Christ, taste the immortal fountain.” When the Chalice is carried into the altar, the choir repeats Hallelujah.

Here the priest leaves the altar and stands in front of the pulpit, from where he reads the “prayer behind the pulpit,” praying on behalf of the people. This prayer was introduced into the liturgy after the time of St. John Chrysostom, when the custom of secret priestly prayers appeared.

It can be seen that all prayers related to the Eucharistic canon are said in secret in the altar; parishioners hear only the singing of the choir. This is often a temptation for the curious who want to hear and see everything that happens behind the iconostasis. The prayer behind the pulpit is composed of fragments of secret prayers so that the laity have an idea of ​​what words are spoken by the priests.

The concealment of the most important part of the Liturgy - the Transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts - is symbolic in nature. Neither the content of the prayers nor the actions of the clergy are “a secret for the uninitiated” in the Church, but are performed behind the fence to emphasize the importance and incomprehensibility of the Eucharist.

Any Christian who strives to study the faith has the opportunity to attend special liturgies, where pauses are made in the service to explain what is happening.

• Ep. Vissarion Nechaev “Explanation of the Divine Liturgy.”
• John Chrysostom "Comments on the Divine Liturgy".
• A. I. Georgievsky. Order of the Divine Liturgy.

Psalm 33 and Dismissal

To the song of righteous Job, “Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever,” the priest again goes to the altar. In many churches, after this they begin to sing Psalm 33, which teaches believers instructions for the coming day. At this time, parishioners disassemble the antidoron taken from the altar - part of the service prosphora used to make the Lamb. All these actions remind believers of the ancient custom of the “meal of love”, which was arranged by Christians after the Eucharist.

At the end of Psalm 33, the priest pronounces a dismissal - a short prayer where, through the prayers of the Mother of God and the saints of the day, divine mercy is asked for all the faithful. The choir responds with the many years of “Our Great Lord and Father Cyril...”.

After the liturgy, it is customary to serve a prayer service in many churches.

Texts for the choir

Literature devoted to the following and interpretation of the Liturgy, as well as sheet music for chants, can be purchased in specialized stores. It is convenient for the choir director and readers to use the printed text, which contains the unchangeable chants of the evening and morning services, liturgy and all-night vigil. Texts for the choir can be downloaded from the Azbuka.Ru portal.

Coming to a divine service, few people today understand the meaning of the holiday troparion, and many other words remain misunderstood. Of course, there is a mysterious principle in the Church, but nothing is secret, not intended for those standing and praying on the other side of the altar doors.

Our lack of understanding of the most important moments of the Liturgy is very regrettable. We must make our prayer meaningful; do not pray to God in unfamiliar words - we are talking to our Father - and do not consider it a great effort to find out what these words mean. This is not sung for us, but glorified by us! We are all participants in this great and heavenly sacrament.

Sometimes it seems to us that when we come to Church, we are performing a spiritual feat. Of course: we patiently lined up for confession, submitted memorial notes... Little did we know that, once in the Church, we were invisibly transported to the Upper Room of Zion, where the Lord washed the feet of His disciples, and now it is our turn. We must prepare ourselves for the Liturgy, for the holiday, so that together with the choir we can sing the magnification and troparion, together with everyone we call: “Receive the Body of Christ...”, so that this is pronounced with one mouth and one heart.

These are the words of Archpriest Alexy Uminsky, who talks about the history of the Liturgy, its meaning and the meaning of the action taking place in his article . We have posted his article with some abbreviations on this page and urge you to read it. The full version can be read by clicking on the title of the article.

Archpriest Alexy Uminsky
Divine Liturgy: Explanation of the meaning, meaning, content

Liturgy as the center of Christian life

The liturgy begins with everyone gathering together. The word “Church” itself in Greek is “ekklesia,” which in turn means “assembly.”

When we gather in church, we gather together with the Church, the very Church in which we believe. Our Eucharistic gathering is a gathering in Christ necessary for each of us to be united with God and through God to be truly deeply and eternally united with each other. This gathering of people in the Sacrament, in fact, is what makes people the Church.

“Liturgy” (“λειτουργία”) translated from Greek means “common cause.” In ancient times, liturgy was the name given to building a temple or a ship. People gathered and the whole world did something that could not be done without common participation. The word “layman” comes precisely from this: “with the whole world,” “all together.” Therefore, we can say that in the temple everyone is a co-servant. Not as some silent herd, separated by a blank wall from the priests, but as one people of God, including the bishop, the clergy, and the laity.

It should not be that the priest serves the Liturgy, and the parishioners only light candles and hand over notes. We must all serve God with one mouth and one heart, praise and glorify Him, uniting with each other in the indestructible unity of faith, in the unity of love, in the unity of good thoughts and deeds. We are called to offer our prayers for everyone. No wonder the Lord said: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). People gathered in the name of the Lord become the Body of Christ, and then the prayer of the Church acquires enormous significance and power.

In the rite of the Divine Liturgy, three parts can be distinguished: Proskomedia, Liturgy of the Catechumens and Liturgy of the Faithful. First, the substance for the Sacrament is prepared, then the believers prepare for the Sacrament, and finally, the Sacrament itself is performed, and the believers receive communion.

Sacred vessels

The attributes of the Liturgy did not appear immediately. In ancient times, the rank of Proskomedia in the form in which it exists now did not yet exist - it took shape only towards the end of the first millennium. In the Acts of the Apostles the Liturgy is called the “Breaking of Bread.” When the Liturgy was celebrated by the apostles or in the catacombs, under conditions of persecution, only two liturgical vessels were used to celebrate the Proskomedia - the Chalice and the Paten, on which the broken Body of Christ was laid out. From this Paten, the faithful took the Body and drank from the Chalice together, that is, they received communion in the same way as priests now receive communion in the altar.

Later, when the Church multiplied during the reign of Constantine, parish churches appeared, and it became difficult to break bread for numerous communicants. During the time of John Chrysostom (c. 347–407), a copy and a liar appeared.

In worship, nothing can exist on its own. All these accessories are intended to serve a more complete disclosure of the meaning of the ongoing sacrament.

Chalice and Paten- the most important liturgical vessels used by the Savior during the Last Supper. Paten (Greek “δίσκος”) is a dish on a base depicting scenes from the New Testament, most often the icon of the Nativity of Christ. The paten simultaneously symbolizes both the Bethlehem cave and the Holy Sepulcher.

Two cruciform intercession, with which the Chalice and Paten are covered, and a cloth cloth called air, on the one hand, symbolize the shrouds with which the Savior was wrapped at Christmas, and on the other, the Shroud in which He was wrapped after being removed from the cross.

Liar- a spoon with a long handle, used to give communion to the laity, did not appear immediately and became established in liturgical practice quite late. It recalls the prophecy of Isaiah: “Then one of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand he had a burning coal, which he took with tongs from the altar, and he touched my mouth and said: behold, this has touched your mouth, and your iniquity is taken away from you. and your sin is cleansed” (Isaiah 6:6). This is an Old Testament image of communion: the spoon symbolizes the tongs with which the Archangel pulled out the coals from the brazier.

The Savior was pierced on the Cross with a copy of a Roman soldier, but at the Liturgy a sharp knife is used, which is called "copy" and with which it is cut Lamb(we will talk about it below) and the particles are removed from the prosphora.

Zvezditsa, made in the shape of a cross, represents a crucifix and at the same time the Star of Bethlehem, which pointed the Magi to the Savior of the world who was born in a cave.

To celebrate the Liturgy, you need red grape wine, diluted with a small amount of holy warm water (warmth), following the example of how the Lord at the Last Supper consumed wine with water, and in remembrance of the fact that during the suffering of the cross after being struck by a spear, the Savior’s rib leaked blood and water.

In Orthodox worship, wheat leavened bread is used, baked in the form of prosphora (from the ancient Greek word “προσφορά” - offering). The prosphora, or prosvira, has a round shape and consists of two parts as a sign that the Lord Jesus Christ had Divine and human nature and a single divine-human personality. On the top of the prosphora there should be a seal with the image of a cross. On either side of it is the inscription: “IS HS” (the name of the Savior), and below is “NIKA,” which in Greek means “victory.” The prosphora may contain an image of the Mother of God or saints.

How did Proskomedia come about?

First, let's talk about how Proskomedia came to be, the main meaning of which is the preparation of substances for performing the Sacrament of Communion from bread and wine brought to the temple. At the same time, all members of the earthly and heavenly Church are commemorated.

The word "Proskomedia" translated from Greek means "bringing" or "offering". In the community of the holy apostles, each Christian had his own “offering” - an offering as a movement of the soul, as the meaning of the meeting, as something that unites all people. Everyone considered everything common. Everyone who comes to Church certainly brings something necessary for the life of the parish - his hands, his heart, his mind, his own means. The deacons accepted those brought into the Church and distributed the gifts. This is how this part of the Liturgy developed, called the offering (that is, Proskomedia), when the deacon chooses the best bread and the best wine to serve, to offer to God.

Ancient liturgical monuments record that the poor and orphans brought water for the Liturgy to wash the hands and feet of the wanderer, so that this water would serve for ablution at the Liturgy. No one had to come just to take. Everyone came to give. At least bring water, but don’t come empty...

Nothing can buy God. God can only distribute everything. And He can distribute only when a person has free hands to accept gifts. When you have bags in your hands, you can’t stretch them to God...

And a sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit, nothing more is needed. The Church does not need any materialization of our sacrifice and God does not need anything other than our heart. Don't turn the Church into a store! Don't come to order something, buy it and take it home. Proskomedia is the first step of the Liturgy - sacrificing ourselves.

Proskomedia

Once upon a time, the priest appeared in the temple when the community was fully assembled. Now, unfortunately, he often comes to an empty church, reads the entrance prayers and robes himself in silence, and only the reader on the choir waits for his blessing to begin reading the hours (prayers consecrating a certain time of day; consist of three psalms, several verses and prayers selected accordingly to each quarter of the day and to the special circumstances of the Savior’s suffering.)

Having prepared, according to church regulations, for the celebration of the Liturgy, the priest, not yet vested, reads the so-called “entrance” prayers in front of the closed Royal Doors, reverently asking God for strength to serve. He asks to strengthen him for the upcoming service and to cleanse him of sins, giving him the opportunity to perform the sacrament without condemnation. Having entered the altar, the priest dresses in sacred vestments and begins to prepare everything necessary for the Divine Liturgy.

Parishioners usually appear in the church later and are not present at Proskomedia. This is how it has developed in modern church practice, so it is better to submit notes before the start of the Liturgy, during the reading of the Hours. Of course, the priest will take out the particles up to the Cherubim, but the action itself is performed precisely during the reading of the Hours.

While at the altar, the priest bows and kisses the sacred vessels, reading the troparion of Good Friday: “Thou hast redeemed us from the legal oath...” Thus, the beginning of Proskomedia is an entry into the atoning sacrifice of Christ, into the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But Proskomedia is a remembrance not only of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, but also of His Incarnation and Nativity, because He became incarnate and was born not in order to live, but in order to die for our sins. And therefore, all the words and actions of Proskomedia have a double meaning, depicting on the one hand the Nativity of Christ, and on the other hand, His suffering and death.

The priest takes the main lamb prosphora, uses a copy to cut out from it a square part of the seal, which is called the Lamb, and places it on the Paten. The Lamb testifies to the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the Son of God became the Son of man.

Lamb means lamb. In worship, this word denotes sacrifice. Throughout Old Testament history, the lamb was always the most important and purest sacrifice offered for human sins. For the Jewish people, sacrificing a lamb meant: a person has sinned, committed evil in this world, and an innocent, completely blameless lamb, which is a symbol of purity and meekness, good-naturedness and defenselessness, suffers for him.

Holy Scripture refers to the Lamb as the Savior. When John the Baptist on the Jordan sees the incarnate Son of God, he points to Him and says: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). Therefore, this prosphora is called the Lamb, intended for sacrifice.

Then the priest, taking a spear in his hand, cuts one edge of the prosphora with the words: “Like a sheep to be slaughtered... Like a lamb without blemish... so it opens not its mouth.” These prophecies are dedicated to Christ, His leading to the Calvary sacrifice. The priest cuts off the lower part of the prosphora: “As if His belly would fly up from the ground.”

The priest cuts the prosphora in a cross shape with the words: “The Lamb of God is eaten (that is, sacrificed), take away the sin of the world, for the worldly belly (the life of the world) and salvation.”

Completing this part of the ritual, the priest pierces the prosphora with a copy on the right side, in the place where the name “Jesus” is written on the seal with the words: “One of the warriors pierced His side with a copy,” and pours wine mixed with water into the Chalice: “And He came forth, blood and water, and he who saw evidence, and the truth is his testimony.”

The earthly name of the Savior - Jesus is pierced by a spear. Man suffered on the Cross; God is not subject to suffering. The God-man Jesus Christ suffered on the Cross with his human nature. That is why Jesus, the earthly name of the Cross, symbolizing His human nature, is pierced by a spear. After this, the Lamb is installed in the center of the Paten.

After the Lamb is prepared for further sacred rites, the priest takes out (cuts out) a piece from the second prosphora, intended for the memory of the Mother of God, and with the words: “The Queen appears at Your right hand” (David’s prophecy about the Mother of God) places it on the Paten to the right of the Lamb.

The third prosphora, called the “nine-day prosphora,” is intended for the remembrance of all the saints. Nine particles are sequentially taken out of it in memory of John the Baptist, prophets, holy apostles, saints, martyrs, saints, healers and unmercenaries, righteous Joachim and Anna, as well as in memory of the saints, some of whom the temple is consecrated and whose memory is celebrated on this day. The last piece is taken out in memory of the saint who wrote the Liturgy - Basil the Great or John Chrysostom.

The commemoration of saints during Proskomedia is very important - we address all the saints, and all the saints stand next to us.

This part of the Proskomedia resembles the Deesis order of the iconostasis. At its center is the Savior, on the one hand is the Mother of God, and on the other are all the saints in their communion with Christ and in prayer for the Church. They were numbered among the Heavenly Host and constituted the Heavenly Church. The saints pray to the Lord, as the Merciful Judge, for mercy on all those present in the temple.

The earthly church is often called “militant” because it is in a constant state of spiritual struggle. We are all soldiers of Christ who went to this battle for truth, for love, in order to defend the image and likeness of God within ourselves. And the Heavenly Church, as we see at Proskomedia, is a triumphant Church, a victorious Church - NIKA. The Mother of God is on the right, and all the saints are on the left side, like a mighty, indestructible army staying next to Christ.

Then begins the prayer for the earthly Church. The priest takes the fourth prosphora, the healthy one, and takes out a piece from it in memory of our Holy Patriarch and the patriarchs who stand before God in the Church, like military leaders who are the first to go into battle and bear the heavy cross of responsibility for the Church. Then he takes out pieces for the bishops and all Orthodox Christians and prays for our fatherland.

After this, the priest takes the prosphora for the repose and, taking out a piece, prays for those who created the temple, for all the previously deceased Orthodox patriarchs and the deceased parishioners of this holy temple.

Finally, the priest reads the notes that we give behind the candle box. We often don’t understand why we bring these notes, but commemoration at Proskomedia is one of the greatest prayers of the Church. In fact, our notes are bringing everyone to Christ with prayer for salvation, healing, conversion. When we pray, the Church is filled with those who suffer, as it was at the pool of Siloam. There is no other such powerful prayer in the Church other than the prayer of the Liturgy, which could unite and realize all our requests like this.

In Proskomedia, through their sacred rites - and here this must be emphasized: it is through sacred rites - that every person participates. Our offering is not that we submitted notes and paid money. Just as the cleric performs the sacred rite during the Proskomedia, so all the parishioners at this moment take part in the Proskomedia rite, offering their prayers to God.

For each name, a piece is taken out of the prosphora, and now next to Christ, with the Lamb of God, who took upon Himself the sins of the world, next to the Mother of God, with the entire Heavenly Church, a mountain of particles grows. The entire Church was placed on the Paten, which symbolizes the universe, the whole world created by God, in which the center is Christ. Nearby is the triumphant Church - this is the Mother of God and the saints, and next to it there is a countless crowd of particles - the living and the dead, the good and the bad, the righteous and the sinful, the healthy and the sick, the mourning and the lost, even those who have gone far from Christ, betrayed Him, forgotten about Him, but everyone for whom the Church prays, everyone who is not indifferent to God... On this platter there are many more sinners than saints - after all, we pray, first of all, for those who most need salvation, who often, like prodigal children are on the far side, and we bring them to the Church, just as the four brought the paralytic, laying him at the feet of the Savior.

Now they all reside in a single space of the universe, in one Church, in which the Heavenly component is inseparable from the earthly one, which is why it is said that it is One.

The proskomedia ends with a symbolic expectation: the Lord lies in the tomb. The priest censes the temple. Just as the Magi brought gold, frankincense and myrrh, so the censer is brought to this offering. Father censes the star and places it on the Paten, covering it with a cross - the guarantee of our salvation. Then he successively burns three shrouds and covers the church vessels with them, just as the Infant Christ is covered with shrouds, just as the Savior is covered with a shroud.

Proskomedia is the great sacrament of the seventh day, when the Lord rested from His works - that blessed Saturday, after which we are in anticipation of the Resurrection of Christ, in anticipation of our salvation and the life of the next century.

After the Sabbath, we meet the risen Christ. This greatest miracle is reflected in the celebration of Easter. Actually, the Easter service is a kind of external implementation of our liturgical celebration. Transition from Proskomedia to Liturgy. This is the passing of Saturday, the seventh day - the end of the world in which we now find ourselves.

During the censing of the altar, the priest reads the Easter troparion. It is very important for understanding the Easter meaning of the Liturgy as a sacrament of the eighth day. The Troparion emphasizes: Proskomedia and the beginning of the Liturgy correspond to the end of our life on earth and entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, after the priest has lit the church vessels, he approaches the Royal Doors and opens the curtain to commemorate the coming of the Lord and our salvation.

Liturgy

The part of the service after Proskomedia is called the “Liturgy of the Catechumens” because the catechumens, that is, those preparing to receive Holy Baptism, as well as penitents excommunicated from Holy Communion for grave sins, may be present when it is celebrated.

The Liturgy begins with the priest and deacon praying and bowing before the Throne. The priest reads the prayer: “To the Heavenly King,” then an angelic doxology sounds: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,” because the service that he has to perform is an angelic service: it is transferred to man, as if entrusted , angelic function.

The prayers end, the priest stands in front of the Throne, which is covered by a folded antimension. ( Antimens– boards depicting the scene of the position of Christ in the tomb and the four evangelists. A particle of the relics of some saint is sewn into the antimension.) The priest raises the Gospel above the antimension and silently prays, lamenting his unworthiness, and asking for God’s help.

The deacon approaches the priest and, having asked for a blessing, leaves the altar to the pulpit (the place opposite the royal doors) and proclaims: “It is time for the Lord to create, Vladyka, bless!” In Russian this means: “Now it is the turn to work for the Lord.” In other words, everything that could be done by people has been done. Human gifts have been brought, wine and bread are on the altar. Now the time has come when the Lord Himself will begin to work, when He will enter into His rights and perform sacred rites.

The priest answers him: “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".

The singers sing: “Amen” (that is, “it really is so”). Then the deacon pronounces the Great Litany (a litany is a series of prayer requests), which lists various Christian needs and our petitions to the Lord, and the priest in the altar secretly prays that the Lord will look at this temple (look at this temple) and those praying in it and fulfill their needs.

The deacon or priest first of all proclaims: “Let us pray to the Lord in peace.” The word “peacefully” in this case does not mean that we pray together. This is a call to remain in a state of mental peace. A person who comes to the Liturgy must be at peace with God, must be at peace with himself, must be at peace with his neighbors. It is not for nothing that the Gospel teaches us: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift "(Matthew 5:23).

We must be in peace if we truly seek the Kingdom of Heaven, because it is said: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

In modern Russian, the word “peacemaker” does not mean exactly what it meant in Gospel times. The Lord does not mean people trying to reconcile warring parties through numerous compromises. A peacemaker in the gospel understanding is a person who knows how to create and maintain peace in his own soul. This state is achieved with great difficulty, but this work builds a person spiritually.

After the exclamation: “Let us pray to the Lord in peace,” we begin to pray about things that seem understandable, but which, nevertheless, need to be comprehended. The great, or peaceful, litany is in fact great, and in its petitions - universal. She embraces all earthly and heavenly requests - both material and spiritual dispensation.

Let us pray to the Lord for the peace from above and the salvation of our souls...
Peaceful spiritual dispensation should in no case be confused with convenience and comfort, often achieved by guile and hypocrisy. Dale Carnegie's theory of communication is now popular, containing all sorts of tricks that allow a person to convince himself that he is good and can easily establish correct relationships with others. In fact, peace can only descend to a person from heaven, which is why we pray for the Divine peace that the Lord sends to us.

After the Resurrection of Christ, the Apostles gathered behind closed doors. Christ has risen, but there is no peace in their souls. They gathered in the same way as they had gathered before, but without Christ. The doors and windows are closed “for fear of the Jews.” And so the risen Savior appears to them and says: “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). He gives peace to these fearful hearts.

But we are talking about the apostles - the disciples who knew Christ better, more than others! How similar is this to us... Don’t we know that Christ has risen, don’t we know that the Lord will not leave us, haven’t we been told by the Gospel, haven’t the manifestations of the power of God in the world been preached by our Church? We know that the Lord is with us, and yet, “for the sake of the Jews,” we close ourselves behind steel doors, hiding from each other and from ourselves. There is no peace in our souls...

This world is given to us only by the Lord, and we can accept it or reject it, preserve it or lose it, multiply it in ourselves or squander it madly.

About the peace of the whole world, the prosperity of the Holy Churches of God and the unity of all... You see how often the word “peace” is heard in the Peaceful Litany - the peace that we call into our hearts, the peace that we call for the whole universe, for the soul of every person.

This petition contains another good word - “welfare”. We are talking about standing in goodness, about standing in the truth of God. We also pray for the union of everyone in love. Our Church is truly a Catholic Church, and not only because its teaching is based on the Ecumenical Councils, and not only because it is scattered throughout the world, but, above all, because it truly unites us all .

The Monk Abba Dorotheos, who lived in the 6th century, proposed the following scheme: the center of the universe, represented in the form of a circle, is the Lord, and the circle itself is made up of people. If we draw radii to the center of the circle and mark different points on each of them, this will be us on our path to God. The closer we come to Him, the closer we are to each other. This is the immutable law of spiritual life. This is the meaning of our service of the Liturgy, and the meaning of the existence of the Church, because the Church must unite us all, gathering us at the feet of the Savior. “That they all may be one,” the Lord prays, “as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, [so] that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:21).

For this holy temple, and for those who enter the stench with faith, reverence and fear of God, let us pray to the Lord...
The following petition contains two words that define inexhaustible spiritual concepts: “reverence” and “fear of God.”

When we fast, we fast, but we can also be in reverence. Do you understand what meaning our post immediately takes on? After all, you can not only fast, but spend this fast in a state of a very high spiritual mood, in a state of peace and communion with the Kingdom of Heaven. This will be reverence.

Then it becomes clear why a person fasts. Not so that, at the end of the fast, we immediately forget about it and happily indulge in all the hard things, again immerse ourselves in what this fast saved us from. I prayed - now I don’t have to pray, I abstained from fast food - now I don’t have to limit myself to anything, I did something - now I don’t have to do it, now I have the right to take a break from fasting. This often happens, because many of us perceive fasting as a burden. And if fasting were reverent for us, it would enter our life as a component, as an integral part of it.

For our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, and for our Lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or Archbishop, or Bishop), the venerable presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord...
A prayer follows for the leader of our church community, for the one who, as the good shepherd, stands before Christ for all the verbal sheep.

It is important for us to understand what a great responsibility it is to be an intercessor before the Lord for all of God’s people. So Moses prayed when he led his people through the Egyptian desert, a stiff-necked, disobedient and unfaithful people, who continually betrayed both God and Moses and rebelled, despite all the mercies that the Lord sent them. At some point, Moses even began to shout to God: “Lord, did I give birth to this people? Is he mine? Why did I get such a heavy burden?”

The Lord strengthened Moses and made him an intercessor for this people. Through the prayer of Moses, He forgave sins, sent manna from heaven, turned a stone into honey, because Moses carried this people in his heart, like a mother carries a child.

This is what standing as a bishop means, standing as a patriarch for his people. The Patriarch can beg God to have mercy on us, despite all our weakness. The patriarch can boldly ask God to punish someone or prohibit something. It is not for nothing that in the social doctrine of the Church adopted at the Council of Bishops there was a bishop’s word that the Church can call on its people to disobey the state if it commits direct lawlessness. Therefore, we pray for our patriarch as an intercessor for each of us, as well as for the entire priesthood, deaconry, all clergy and all people.

About our God-protected country, its authorities and army...
The petition for the army and for the people, of course, changes over time. But, nevertheless, the Apostle Paul wrote: “There is no authority except from God; But the existing powers have been established by God” (Rom. 13:1). This often confuses people, especially when the authorities behave offensively towards the Church, when the Church is in reproach. But it is worth recalling that the apostle said this to the Romans when Nero, whom many considered the Antichrist, and from whom the Apostle Paul himself suffered, was king. But, despite the fact that the government was openly godless, the apostle calls for prayer for it. Rus' prayed the same way during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, remembering the Golden Horde in its prayers.

About this city, every city... country, and those who live in them by faith... About those who sail, travel, the sick, the suffering, the captives, and about their salvation...

Let us pray to the Lord for the goodness of the air, for the abundance of earthly fruits and times of peace...

When we pray for the goodness of the air, we are not praying for good weather, but for the harmony of man and nature, man and God, for that harmony that puts nature at the service of man.

The world was created so that it would be very convenient and pleasant for man to live in it. The world is not man’s enemy, on the contrary, it is his servant. When the Lord entrusted man with this world to decorate and take care of it, every movement of the air was necessarily beneficial, because nature was subject to the laws of Divine truth and love. Everything that was sent down by nature was sent down exclusively for the benefit of man. And therefore, words about the goodness of the air should be perceived as a request to restore real connections between man and nature, so that nature, these “airs,” would bring us good.

When a person brings his malice into the world, he destroys this original harmony, and nature turns against him. If a person comes into this world with love and lives in harmony with God, then nature itself assists him.

The stories described in the lives of the saints are touching. The lioness comes to the hermit's cell and drags him by the hem of his cassock into her lair, because her cubs are wounded. And the hermit pulls out the splinters from the paws of the lion cubs, heals them, smears them with oil, because the lioness, a dumb creature, felt spiritual harmony in him. Animals know that their owner is human.

The Monk Gerasim of Jordan raised a lion who led a donkey to water, and when the monk departed to the Lord, he lay down on his grave and died. One can recall the lion who, at the request of Elder Zosima, dug a grave for Mary of Egypt. Seraphim of Sarov tamed the bear and fed it from his hands... All these stories testify not to some supernatural gift, but to the fact that the human spirit came into harmony with the Spirit of God.

In one of his sermons, Metropolitan Anthony quotes the early fathers of the Church, who argued that the Lord does not need our good deeds, does not need our exploits, but only needs harmony between us and Him, because in this case we cannot be evil. The most important thing is to achieve inner harmony, that is, the unity of man with God.

Liturgy is the spiritual space in which this unity is given to us.

Let us pray to the Lord for deliverance from all sorrow, anger and need. Intercede, save, have mercy, and preserve us, O God, with Your grace...
This is how we pray for ourselves, because everyone has something to ask from God. We can and should ask Him for deliverance from all need and sorrow, from the anger that tears us apart. If you ask for something in the simplicity of your heart, the Lord will certainly respond.

Our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, having remembered with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and our whole life to Christ our God...
This petition connects us with the Heavenly Church. We, together with the Mother of God, with all the saints, with each other, give ourselves and everyone to God - we give our whole lives to Him as a gift and offering, as our Proskomedia.

Antiphons

Immediately after the Great Litany, antiphons are sung. According to the established rules, there should be two choirs in the temple - right and left, and singing should be antiphonal, that is, alternating, two choirs.

Antiphonal singing has been known since ancient tragedies. It appears quite early in Christian worship. The Byzantine church historian Socrates Scholasticus says that such singing was introduced into the Antiochian Church by Saint Ignatius the God-Bearer (about 107). In the West, it entered into worship under Saint Ambrose of Milan (c. 340–397). In Constantinople it was introduced by St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407).

Antiphons could have arisen from religious processions. The procession of the cross is the Church’s testimony to this world. People leave the temple and the entire surrounding space becomes its continuation. Believers walk with icons and banners through the streets of the city, and the whole world, whether it wants it or not, must somehow participate in this pious action. Processions of the cross are evidence of the strength and completeness of the Church.

In the Ancient Church there was a custom according to which religious processions from different parishes flocked to one church, in which a patronal feast day was celebrated that day or another significant event took place. During the procession, festive chants were sung, praising the holiday or the holy martyrs in whose name the service was performed. When religious processions converged at the place where the event was celebrated, they chanted alternately. Antiphons are hymns of procession, hymns of gathering, hymns of preparation.

During daily services, weekday or daily antiphons are sung. At Sunday services, which we most often attend, and on some holidays, Sunday or figurative antiphons are sung. Festive antiphons are sung only on the Lord's holidays (such as, for example, Christmas or Transfiguration) and on the Presentation of the Lord, which is, as it were, a transitional holiday between the Lord's and the Theotokos.

The antiphons prophetically depict the mercies of God revealed to humanity through the incarnation of the Son of God. There are three Sunday antiphons: Psalm 102, Psalm 145 and “Blessed.” They are separated by small litany (petitions). During the singing of the antiphons, the priest is in the altar and reads the so-called secret priestly prayers.

Previously, secret prayers were read aloud - there is no secret in them; it's all about their incomprehensibility and greatness. However, starting from the 6th century, they are read quietly in the altar, which reveals a certain external division between those who officiate at the Throne and those who officiate as the people of God. According to many theologians, the power of sacred rites is thus weakened. Unfortunately, now we are reaping the fruits of this reduction, because in the minds of many people only the priest performs the Liturgy, only he prays, and everyone else is just present. In fact, this is not so - all prayers during the Divine Liturgy are offered on behalf of all those gathered in the temple. Each of us should know and understand them. Antiphons and litanies do not replace priestly prayers, but are their continuation.

The first antiphon is Psalm 102: “Bless the Lord, my soul...”

At this time, the prayer is read: “Lord our God, whose power is unspeakable and glory incomprehensible, whose mercy is immeasurable and love for mankind inexpressible, Himself, Master, according to Your compassion, look upon us and on this holy temple and do with us, and with those who pray with us , rich are Thy mercies and Thy tender mercies.”

Before the Second Antiphon, a small litany is heard and a prayer is offered: “Lord our God, save Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, preserve the fulfillment of Thy Church, sanctify those who love the splendor of Thy house; Glorify them with Your Divine power, and do not forsake us who trust in You.”

The word “fulfillment” in this case means “completeness”. The priest prays for the preservation of the fullness of the Church, for every person to enjoy the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The second antiphon consists of Psalm 145: “Praise, O my soul, the Lord...” and the dogmatic chant: “The only begotten Son and Word of God...”, expressing the dogma of the Church about God in the Trinity and about the incarnation, nativity and assumption of the human nature of the Son of God, who is of one essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This chant was composed by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (483–565), canonized for his piety.

It is no coincidence that this particular psalm was chosen - it contains a deep liturgical meaning. Unfortunately, only selected verses are sung, which do not include the very important lines: “The Lord has prepared His Throne in heaven and His Kingdom possesses all,” which directly relate to our standing at the Liturgy. The Kingdom that sanctifies our hearts and our lives belongs to everyone, and no one is superfluous in this Kingdom. Liturgy is a sacrifice for the life of the whole world; it is truly the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven in power, which everyone possesses and which everyone can possess.

After the singing of the Second Antiphon, the Royal Doors are opened and the Third Antiphon, consisting of the Beatitudes, is sung. The prayer of the Third Antiphon sounds like this: “Who has granted us prayers in common and agreement, and who has promised to ask for a tax to two or three who agree on your name. Even now Your servant fulfill your requests for useful purposes, giving us in the present world the knowledge of Your truth, and in the future granting us eternal life.”

A person who reads the Psalter regularly easily perceives the divine service, because practically Vespers, Matins, the All-Night Vigil, and the Liturgy largely consist of the singing of psalms. Many hymns, even stichera, which are sung in honor of saints, are largely composed on the basis of psalms. That is why it is necessary to know the Psalter well.

During the Third Antiphon, the Small Entrance takes place, which is called the “Entrance with the Gospel.” In the old days, parishioners gathered near the still closed church. The people greeted the bishop, and the small entrance was the bishop's entrance to the church. Now this entrance is more like an exit, because they leave the altar through the northern gate, and then enter the central Royal Doors. In the ancient Church, the Gospel was kept in a special treasury, and it was precisely before entering the temple that it was taken out from the temple keeper, therefore the procession with the Gospel in the ancient Church was a particularly significant action.

Our Church has preserved this tradition in its hierarchal service. When the bishop enters the church, the Gospel is carried out for blessing, the bishop puts on sacred clothes precisely during the singing of the antiphons and reads the entrance prayers, since, as we know, it is the bishop who is the exclusive minister of the Divine Liturgy.

Now the Entrance with the Gospel symbolizes Christ’s coming out to preach. Taking the Gospel from the Throne and raising it above himself, the priest, reading a blessing prayer, leaves through the northern doors and enters the Royal Doors. A candle is placed in front of him.

Liturgy is co-service of the earthly and heavenly Church. In his prayer, the priest asks that with the entrance of the clergy into the altar, the Lord would also create the entrance of the Angels, serving with them and praising God’s goodness.

Our knowledge of the rites of the Divine Liturgy, including the antiphons, is very important for full participation in it. We stand and quietly sing along with the choir, realizing what is happening in the church and what is behind the spoken words. This is our participation in the common liturgical prayer, in the very prayer that the priest reads at the altar.

At the end of the singing of the antiphons, the deacon or priest raises the Gospel, blessing the parishioners with it in the shape of a cross, and says: “Wisdom, forgive.” The word “wisdom” warns those praying about the deep content of the following singing and reading, and the word “forgive”, that is, “stand up straight,” calls for special attention and reverence.

After singing “Come, let us fall down and worship Christ, save us, Son of God...” church hymns called troparions and kontakions are sung. They briefly tell about the feat of the saint or express the essence of the holiday that is celebrated on this day. At this time, the priest in the altar on behalf of all believers prays to the Lord, so that He may accept the Trisagion hymn sung from the Seraphim from us, humble and sinners, to forgive us every sin and sanctify our thoughts, souls and bodies.

Trisagion

The Small Entrance ends with the singing of the Trisagion. We find the history of the origin of this prayer in Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. First of all, it is associated with the vision of the prophet Isaiah, to whom the Old Denmi appeared, that is, God in the form of an old man, sitting on a high Throne. “The Seraphim stood around Him; each of them had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And they called to each other and said: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts! the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa. 6:2–3). Seeing God, Isaiah cried out: “Woe is me! I'm dead! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people also of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then one of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand he had a burning coal, which he took with tongs from the altar, and touched my mouth and said: behold, this has touched your mouth, and your iniquity is taken away from you, and your sin is cleansed" ( Isaiah 6:5–7).

There is a pious legend: a miracle happened in Constantinople, revealed to one youth, who was caught up into heaven during an earthquake. He also happened to hear angelic singing: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal...” When he came to his senses and told everything to the bishop, he decided to walk along the walls of the city with the singing of the Trisagion, adding to it: “Have mercy on us!” After this religious procession, the earthquake ended and the city was saved. It is in this form that the Trisagion Hymn is introduced into worship. This is church tradition. It was documented for the first time after the completion of the first meeting of the Council of Chalcedon (451), when the Church Fathers left the temple to the singing of the Trisagion.

It must be said that the Trisagion hymn is not always heard in the church; sometimes other chants are sung that replace the Trisagion. These are holidays on which it is sung: “Those who were baptized into Christ put on Christ...” Such hymns are sung during Christmas, Epiphany, Easter and Trinity. In the ancient Church, these days were celebrations of the birth in Christ of new members who came to baptism after a long period of catechesis, which for many lasted for years.

In the prayer of entry we first encounter the fact that the liturgical ministry is equated and exalted with the angelic ministry. “Create at our entrance the holy Angels to be, serving us and praising Your goodness...” the priest says during the Lesser Entrance.

The knowledge that at this moment the Heavenly Church and the earthly Church are united in a single service is constantly emphasized during the Eucharist, especially during the service of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, when it is sung: “Now the Heavenly Powers serve with us invisibly.”

The angelic praise begins and we sing praises to the Creator. Before our eyes, the same thing is happening that happened two thousand years ago. Christ comes and begins to teach. He proclaims His word, many people gather around Him, as in the synagogue in Capernaum, when He spoke about the bread that came down from heaven. Some people listen, don’t believe it, and leave. They do not accept the word because it does not fit within them. Others say: “Lord! who should we go to? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and known that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (John 6: 68–69) and remain with Him, despite their unworthiness, their inferiority, their misunderstanding.

This happens every time the Liturgy is served, when Christ appears before us, and we are waiting for Him, we sing the Trisagion to Him - this is the angelic doxology that is given to us as real participants in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Reading of the Apostle

After the Trisagion in the church there follows the reading of the Apostolic Epistles or, as they say, the Apostle. This part of the Liturgy of the Word is very ancient. When in the first centuries of Christianity the community gathered to remember the Last Supper, first of all the Good News was proclaimed to it. The apostle came and began, quoting Scripture, to prove that Jesus is the Christ. He cited passages from the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, showing that they were talking specifically about Jesus, who was crucified and resurrected. This was the main part of the apostolic gospel.

Fragments of these sermons are recorded in the prokeimnas, proclaimed after the Trisagion before the reading of the Acts or Epistles of the holy apostles. Prokeimenon (from Greek - literally “lying in front”) is a repeatedly repeated hymn in the Orthodox Church, most often consisting of two verses of a psalm, although there are prokeimenes taken from the Gospel or the Apostle. They most obviously and frequently contain prophecies about the coming of Christ. They used to be read and sung in full, but over time they were reduced to two lines, one of which is usually the beginning line of the text, and the other taken from the middle.

The so-called selected psalms are also sung by us during the magnification at Matins - the choir proclaims a line from the selected psalm dedicated to the holiday, and then, like a refrain, sings the magnification. All these are echoes of that ancient Liturgy, in which the reading of the Holy Scriptures and especially the Old Testament occupied a significant place.

After reading Old Testament texts, the apostle who came to the community spoke about Christ himself. He proclaimed His teaching, which later became the Gospel (after all, initially the Gospel was the Holy Tradition of the Church, and only several decades later the apostles recorded their oral sermons). Each apostle carried the gospel, which was either the fruit of his personal experience with Jesus, or the story he heard from people who saw and heard Christ. As John the Theologian writes, “what we have seen and heard we declare to you” (1 John 1:3).

The Church lives by apostolic preaching. Reading the messages is the presence of the apostles themselves in the temple.

The Apostles wrote to the Churches. What we know as the Epistles of the Apostles are actually their letters, the most ordinary letters sent to loved ones from exile or travel. These are letters from a teacher with whom it was not possible to communicate face to face. The community read them in a filial manner, very carefully and with great love, and then passed them on to the neighboring church, the neighboring community. So these letters became available to all Christians. And now we read and hear them. In worship, they seem to stand before the Gospels, located between the prophecies of the Old Testament about Christ and the fulfillment of these prophecies in the New Testament.

The one reading these messages stands in the middle of the church, like an apostle who has come to the Christian community and proclaims to people the salvation that the Lord brought into the world, and the deacon at this time censes the altar, the reader, and then all those praying.

During the reading of the Apostle, the priest sits as an equal to the apostles, as one who marks the presence of the apostleship in the community, is the continuer of the apostolic ministry - he leads people to Christ and proclaims to people the truth of God. This is the meaning of reading the apostolic, and then reading the gospel.

After the Apostle is read, the reader exclaims: “Hallelujah!”, which translated from Hebrew means: “Praise the Lord!”

Reading the Gospel

The central place in the Liturgy of the Word, of course, is occupied by the Gospel itself. One could even say that this part of the Liturgy is dedicated to the Gospel, and everything that happens in it is a kind of preparation for the Gospel to be revealed and read.

In the Liturgy of the Word, which is also called the Liturgy of the Catechumens, there is a certain independent life and completeness, because for the catechumens it ends precisely with the reading of the Gospel, after which, according to the rules of the ancient Church, they should leave the temple.

The Four Gospels that we are reading now were written in the period from 60 to 110–115, that is, for several decades the Gospel was only Holy Tradition, which the apostles transmitted orally to their followers. And yet it was the true Gospel, it was the word of God. Nevertheless, the Gospel as Holy Scripture appeared quite early in the life of the Church and the attitude towards it was extremely serious.

The book was one of the greatest treasures of the ancient world, and not all even rich people could afford to purchase them. For centuries, Christians could only partake of the word of God during worship in church, recognize it, and then live by it, suffer for it and embody it in their lives.

For the catechumens, reading the Gospel is the main encounter with the word of God, because the rest is not yet available to them. They have not yet been born in Christ, but the word of God is transforming them now.

Reading the Gospel in church is an opportunity for us to meet with God. What is happening to us at this moment? How do we live by this word later? How do we leave the temple? These are the most important questions to which we have to give truthful answers.

Sublime Litany

After the reading of the Gospel, the Great Litany sounds. The Liturgy of the Catechumens ends and a new stage of liturgical ascension begins. A special litany is included in every service. In terms of petitions, she is similar to Mirna, with whom the service usually begins.

At the beginning of the service, a folded antimension lies on the Throne. Now the priest unfolds it from three sides. Only the upper part remains unopened, which the priest opens a little later, during the litany of the catechumens.

The intense litany is all-encompassing. It includes all the requests of the world, all its needs and sorrows. However, despite the fact that there is a petition for general, cosmic things, the Church, nevertheless, prays for each of us.

However, if there is a need to pray for someone especially, for example, for a sick person, then the whole Church should pray for him, and not just the priest. For this purpose, there are special petitions that complement the special litany - for those traveling and captives, for the suffering and sick.

The Liturgy of the Word ends with the litany of the catechumens.

Before the revolution there were no catechumens, they simply could not have existed, but now they have appeared again in our Church. Again, there is someone to enlighten, there is someone to prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism, there is someone to preach the basics of Christianity. Today, a huge number of people come to the font without announcement, and this is wrong. Preparing people for baptism and church prayer for them are absolutely necessary.

Cherubic Song

After the litany of the catechumens, the antimension is already open, and the temple is ready for the offering of a bloodless sacrifice. The Church has already offered up all the prayers and commemorations, not forgetting the living, the dead, or the catechumens, and the deacon proclaims: “Come out, catechumens, come out...” - so that only the faithful remain in the church during the Divine Liturgy.

The Eucharistic word “faithful” refers to Christians. After the litany for the catechumens, two prayers of the faithful are heard.

The priest reads the first of them during the small litany of the faithful: “We give thanks to You, Lord God of Hosts, who has made us worthy to present ourselves now at Your holy Altar and to receive Your bounties for our sins and for human ignorance. Accept, O God, our prayer, make us worthy to offer You supplications and supplications and Bloodless Sacrifice for all Your people; and satisfy us, whom You have placed in this service of Yours, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, without condemnation and without stumbling, in the pure testimony of our conscience; call upon Thee at all times and places. Yes, by listening to us, You will be merciful to us in the abundance of Your goodness.”

After the next litany, the priest reads the second prayer of the faithful: “Once again and again we fall before You and pray to You, O Good One and Lover of Mankind, for having regard to our prayer, cleanse our souls and bodies from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and give us an innocent and uncondemned standing Your holy Altar. Grant, O God, to those who pray with us, prosperity of life, faith, and spiritual understanding. Grant to them, who always serve You with fear and love, to innocently and uncondemnably partake of Your Holy Mysteries, and to be worthy of Your Heavenly Kingdom.”

The priest in this prayer asks that all people who are in the church at this time would partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation. This means that all parishioners are really ready to begin communion, otherwise this prayer is being read for no reason.

It happens that a person comes to the service, but does not want to receive communion. Why? After all, only mortal sin and nothing else can separate us from communion, separate us from the boundless love of God. And most often we don’t receive communion because laziness prevents us: laziness to come to the service in the evening, laziness to pray, laziness to work on ourselves, we don’t want to make peace with our neighbor and confess.

So for whom are the prayers of the faithful read? Upon receiving holy baptism, each of us took vows of faith. A Christian is called faithful not only because he has entrusted his life to God, but because he has promised to remain faithful to Him. For the sake of this fidelity, the Lord gives man His Great Mysteries. Vows of fidelity belong to eternity.

“Like the Cherubim secretly forming...” What do these strange words mean? We only know that when they sing the Cherubim song, we should freeze. But why? For what? I would really like you to ask yourself this question more often.

And this is what they mean: you, standing in the temple, those who mysteriously depict the Cherubim, who sing the Trisagion hymn, must put aside all worldly cares.

Each of us at this moment is given the opportunity to stand with the Cherubim and Seraphim. They sing: “Holy, holy, holy...” - and we must merge with them in a single angelic praise.

In this sacrament we are actors, not spectators. We are in the co-service of the angels, and this is the culmination of the service, when we must put aside all worldly worries, all worldly cares.

“As if we will raise the King of all with angelic invisibly dorinoshima chinmi.” This is an echo of the ancient or Byzantine world. Then the winners were carried in their arms through the triumphal arches. We must carry Christ on ourselves.

While singing the Cherubic Song, the priest makes the Great Entrance. The King of glory, Christ, goes to the Cross, because the Great Entrance is the procession of the Savior to Golgotha: “The King of kings and Lord of lords comes to sacrifice and be given as food to the faithful.”

The deacon censers the altar and those gathered in the church, reading to himself the 50th psalm of repentance, which we can all also read to ourselves at this moment. The height of the cherubic calling of each of us brings our souls to a state of deepest awareness of our own unworthiness.

It is no coincidence that the priest, before singing the Cherubim, opens the Royal Doors, stands before the Throne and reads the only prayer in the Liturgy, which does not apply to everyone present, but only to himself: “No one is worthy from those bound by carnal lusts... to come, or draw near, or serve You, To the King of Glory; for it is great and terrible to serve You and the Heavenly Powers themselves...” This prayer is dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, as the Bishop, before Whom an unworthy cleric stands before him, entering the realm of terrible sacred rites.

The priest asks forgiveness from all concelebrants and parishioners, censes the Proskomedia standing on the altar, and, accompanied by the singing of the Cherubim, goes out onto the solea (the raised platform in front of the iconostasis). He carries the Holy Proskomedia - the Cup of wine, which is to become the Blood of Christ, and the Paten with bread, which is to become the Body of Christ. At the Great Entrance, a special commemoration of the entire Church is performed at the same time, because just as the Lord Almighty carries the whole world in His arms, so the priest leaving the altar carries the Proskomedia, as an image of the world, the Church and the entire universe, for which the sacrifice of Christ is offered.

The Great Entrance represents the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem: Jesus goes to His suffering. This is a victory that is given to the Lord through visible defeat, this is the taking upon oneself through love and humility of all the sins of the world so that this world can be saved. We mysteriously portray Cherubim, but at the same time we are those who crucify Christ. What Satan has put into our souls forces the Lord to go to death, therefore the Great Entrance for every person is a judgment, a test of his life, a test of his participation in the Savior’s sacrifice.

The priest enters the altar, places the Paten and Chalice on the Throne, removing the coverings from them, and reads the troparion of Good Friday: “Blessed Joseph...” - a prayer for the removal of the Lord from the Cross, once again emphasizing the Golgotha, sacrificial nature of the Great Entrance. On the Throne, the Gifts are again covered with air. The gifts were on the altar in memory of the fact that Christ was swaddled like a baby, but now they remind of His swaddling in the Holy Shroud. Finishing the incense, the priest prays: “Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built...”

Look at how Father Pavel Florensky describes the importance of this moment: “You, like Cherubim, do not tremble before each other? But tremble, tremble more! Do you know who's here? The King, Christ, the ranks of angels serve Him invisibly... The Church is full of Angels, and you all stand mixed with the Angels. The Lord is here, don't you know? He is with us, as promised. Shall we not now put aside the cares of this life? Shall we not forget about the worldly crust that hides the Guardian Angel for each of us? Let this veil fall from your eyes. Let the wall that separates heart from heart fall down. Oh, what happiness it is to see Cherub in everyone! Oh, joy forever! Let us now put aside all worldly concerns. All sorts of things..."

Symbol of faith

The Great Entrance ends, the Royal Doors close, the curtain draws. With the litany of petition, the Church begins to prepare those praying for the celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist: “Let us pray to the Lord for the honest gifts offered.”

At this time, the priest secretly reads the prayer of offering, asking him to accept this sacrifice. “...And make us worthy to find grace before You, to be more favorable to You than our sacrifice, and to indwell the good Spirit of Your grace in us, and on those who are presented with these Gifts, and on all Your people.”

The deacon exclaims: “Let us love one another, that we may be of one mind…” Previously, after these exclamations, Christians kissed each other as a sign of faith, love and unanimity. This custom is still preserved among the clergy. They all kiss the Paten, the Chalice (from the ancient Greek ποτήρ - “cup, goblet”), the Throne and each other with the words: “Christ is among us,” and answer: “And there is and will be.”

The deacon exclaims: “Doors, doors, let us sing of wisdom!” In the ancient Church, the exclamation “Doors, doors...” referred to the gatekeepers standing at the doors of the temple, and called on them to carefully watch the entrance and not let in catechumens or penitents, that is, those who did not have the right to be present at the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

When we sing the Creed, we do not ask for anything, we do not repent of our sins. We take vows and oaths.

For the first time we sing the Creed when receiving holy baptism. After the priest asks about our faith, we take the first oath of allegiance, after which the Creed is read. Every morning, when we wake up, we again swear allegiance to God, that we will live this day as Orthodox Christians.

This is an oath sealed by the Liturgy itself. We sing the Creed all together, with one mouth confessing our faith, in order to live by this faith, so that this faith is known by its fruits, so that by this faith people recognize us.

We are Orthodox not because we were able to preserve the dogmas of the holy faith intact, but because the Lord gave us the opportunity, through true knowledge of God, not distorted by human thoughtlessness, lies or pride, to perceive the fullness of love. Dogmas are given to us for only one purpose: so that we learn to love.

Eucharistic canon

In the second, most important part of the Liturgy - the Liturgy of the Faithful - the very celebration of the Sacrament takes place.

The deacon’s call: “Let us become kind, let us become fearful, and bring holy offerings to the world” moves everyone to the most important Eucharistic prayer, which is called Anaphora. The ancient Greek word “ἀναφορά” in this case can be translated as “exaltation.”

“Let us become kind, let us become fearful, let us bring the Holy Ascension to the world...” This is not yet a prayer, but a call proclaimed by the deacon. In response to it, the choir on behalf of all those praying expresses their readiness for the Holy Ascension and sings: “Mercy of peace, sacrifice of praise” - that is, we will offer the Bloodless Sacrifice (Holy Eucharist), which is the great mercy of God given to us as a result of our reconciliation (peace) with the Lord, and consisting of grateful glorification (praise) of God. The priest, turning his face to the people, blesses them and says: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” The choir, that is, the whole people, answers him: “And with your spirit.”

The call sounds: “Woe to our hearts!” At this moment our hearts should be directed upward, like fire ascending to the sky. We answer: “Imams to the Lord,” that is, our hearts are burning and turned to God.

Anaphora is central, the oldest part of the Christian Liturgy. During the Anaphora, the transformation or transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ occurs. It begins with the words: “We thank the Lord.” The choir sings: “It is worthy and righteous to worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, Consubstantial and Indivisible.” This is an abbreviation of the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer. The priest prays at the altar: “It is worthy and righteous to sing to You, to bless You, to praise You, to thank You, to worship You in every place of Your dominion.”

From about the end of the 6th century, the prayers that had previously been said aloud by the priest became inaccessible to parishioners praying outside the altar. The choir, representing the image of the people of God, began to sing only some parts of this prayer.

One may get the impression that the priest reads several prayers, separated by exclamations, after which the choir begins to sing certain chants. In fact, the Anaphora prayer continues without stopping until the Transubstantiation of the Holy Mysteries.

“It is worthy and righteous to sing to Thee, to bless Thee, to praise Thee, to thank Thee, to worship Thee in every place of Thy dominion: For Thou art God, Ineffable, Unknowable, Invisible, Incomprehensible, Everlasting, and also Thy Only Begotten Son, and Your Holy Spirit."

In the first part of the Anaphora, the priest professes apophatic theology (from the Greek word αποφατικος - “denying”). We are talking about a theological method that consists in expressing the essence of the Divine through the consistent denial of all His possible definitions as incommensurable to Him, in the knowledge of God through the understanding of who He is not. Indeed, we can express our idea of ​​the Lord only allegorically, because God is so incomprehensible that human speech is not able to convey the correct definition of his Essence. Suppose you say about God that He is Light, and this will clearly not be enough; you say that He is Love and Grace incarnate, and you also will not characterize your idea of ​​Him. Of course, all this is true, but only to some infinitesimal extent, because we are talking only about our ideas about love, mercy, light and goodness. In any case, all our definitions will turn out to be insufficient, flawed, miserable, saying practically nothing about the Lord.

All we can say about God is that He is unknown, incomprehensible, unknown and ineffable. It is with these words that we begin our thanksgiving. Even the true meaning of the Name that He reveals to us: “I Am Who I Am” tells us little, because our life is flawed and inevitably sooner or later ends in death. We do not have a truly self-sufficient life. Even when we repeat that He is the Existent, we cannot understand what this really means.

“... You are ever present, and so are You, and Your Only Begotten Son, and Your Holy Spirit; You brought us from non-existence into being, and you raised us back from those who had fallen, and you did not retreat, creating everything, until you raised us to Heaven, and you gave us the future of Your Kingdom.”

The Resurrection of Christ is a new act of creation of the world, an act of creation of a new creature. The Lord first created us, bringing us into existence from non-existence. It would seem: a completely incomprehensible act of creation, because a person cannot realize it. We don’t even try to understand it, we just accept it as it is written.

But when we already exist, the Lord creates us anew. With His Resurrection He recreates the world, creates everything again through His Church. Everything old is gone, and the present is just beginning. A new creation is being created in Christ, and every minute we are participants in this creation in constant communion with God.

“...And you did not retreat, having created everything, until you raised us to Heaven, and you bestowed your future kingdom.”

In this amazing prayer we are faced with the fact that the past, present and future merge into one time. We begin to feel this way and speak as if we were no longer here on earth, but in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is from there that we thank the Lord not only for creating us, not only for saving us, but also for taking us to heaven and giving us His Kingdom.

We are invading Eternity, which has already arrived. We are talking about communication with God in the Kingdom of Heaven, because He has already given us all this. All this has already happened to us, and all we have to do is reach out and accept what has been given to us. The only question is, do we really want this? Do we want to accept from Christ the salvation already given to us? After all, the gift of eternal life is not an easy burden; it will have to be accepted like a cross, and nothing else...

The weight of salvation is immeasurable; a person can bend under it. But every Eucharist calls us to decide: do we strive for salvation or not? Do we want to bear this gift on ourselves, as the greatest burden and at the same time as absolute goodness, or will we prefer to step aside? You can enter the Kingdom of Heaven only through the Church that the Lord created, through His wounds, through a pierced rib...

The Liturgy in which you and I are participating is an uninterrupted chain of bold touches to the body of Christ. Just like the Apostle Thomas, we continually “test” the Savior by putting our fingers into His wounds.

“For all of these we thank Thee, and Thy Only Begotten Son, and Thy Holy Spirit, for all the known and unknown, manifest and unmanifested blessings that have been upon us. We thank Thee also for this service, which Thou hast deigned to receive from our hands, even though thousands of Archangels and darkness of Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, towering feathers stand before You.”

We give thanks for this service, as for a gift that the Lord accepts from us, unworthy, although at this moment He is glorified by Archangels and Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim - six-winged, many-eyed, towering, feathered... The believers sing to Him that very song, to the sounds with which He once entered Jerusalem: “Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” and their jubilant singing is combined with angelic praise.

The Lord is coming! In the same way, we are coming to heavenly Jerusalem through the acceptance of God's gift, through the constant desire to be together with Christ - in His death and Resurrection, in His ascension to Heaven, in His sitting at the right hand of the Father. This is the main feeling that should fill the soul of every Christian: “I want to be saved! I want to follow the path of salvation! I want to bear this undeserved, immeasurable and unaffordable gift on myself, because this is the only way to enter into communion with Christ!” Only then will this gift become that good yoke and light burden that the Lord told us about.

Priest: “Singing the song of victory, crying out, calling out and speaking.”

Chorus: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, fill Heaven and earth with Your glory; Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.”

The priest continues reading the Eucharistic prayer:

“With these blessed Powers, O Lord, Lover of Mankind, we cry out and say: Holy and Holy are You, and Your Only Begotten Son, and Your Holy Spirit. Thou art Holy and Most Holy, and Thy glory is magnificent; Whosoever Thou hast loved Thy world, even as Thou didst give Thy Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have Eternal Life. He who came, and having fulfilled all his care for us, gave himself up in the night, and even more so gave himself up for his worldly life, took the bread into His holy and most pure and immaculate hands, thanking and blessing, sanctifying, breaking, and giving to His holy disciples and the apostle, rivers..."

When does the humiliation of the Son of God, or kenosis (from the Greek κένωσις - “emptiness”, “exhaustion”) begin? The Lord has already limited and belittled Himself by saying: “Let Us make man in Our image and in Our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). According to the Holy Fathers of the Church, the creation of man was a harbinger of the incarnation of the Son of God and His offering of the atoning sacrifice on the cross.

The prayer included in the Liturgy of Basil the Great speaks of exhaustion, that “we have taken away the earth, and in Your image, O God, honor, Thou hast placed it in the paradise of sweets...”, that is, the sacrifice has already been made. God limits Himself to the presence on earth of His image and likeness, endowed with immortality and free will. It is for his sake that the great sacrifice is made. However, not only for his sake...

“Although He went forth to His free and ever-memorable and life-giving death, in the night, in darkness, He gave Himself for the life of the world...” The sacrifice is made for the life of the world. This sacrifice encompasses everything that God has created. But, in fact, this whole world was created only for the sake of man. He exists insofar as man exists. This world was originally designed in such a way that we could live well and happily in it. Theologians say: the world is anthropomorphic, that is, it is human-oriented. However, when a person sins, this world is distorted, spoiled, and subject to decay. The Kingdom of Heaven, the fulfillment of the fullness of times when God will be “all in all,” can only come through man.

“Take, eat, this is My Body, which was broken for you for the remission of sins.”

This part of the Eucharistic prayer ends with establishing words that establish the Sacrament of the Eucharist itself, about which there has been much controversy.

“Take, eat, this is My Body, which was broken for you for the remission of sins.” It was with these words that Christ made ordinary bread and ordinary wine His Body and His Blood during the Lord’s Last Supper. This is what led to their literal understanding by the Western Church.

Catholics believe that these very words are the sacramental formula that transforms bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. It is at this moment that they bless the Cup and the Bread. In the Catholic consciousness, the priest is a kind of “substitute” for Christ, and the Eucharist is celebrated with his hands. But no one can replace Christ, and this is not necessary! He, He did not go anywhere, although He is with His Father and the Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity and in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Lord remains with us until the end of the age.

The Orthodox Liturgy, with its entire structure, points to what is most important. In our minds, a priest is not a “substitute for Christ” at the Liturgy, he is the leader of the people of God and nothing more. Therefore, during the Liturgy, he does not perform anything himself, the priest is the primate before God, begging Him to perform this mystery. Calling: “Come, eat...”, he recalls how Christ uttered these words at the Last Supper.

Only after this is one of the most important liturgical actions performed. The culmination of the ongoing Eucharistic prayer is the epiclesis (Latin epiclesis and Greek ἐπίκλησις - “invocation”).”

The priest reads to himself: “Remembering this saving commandment, and everything that was about us: the Cross, the Sepulcher, the three-day resurrection, the ascension to heaven, sitting on the right hand, the Second and glorious coming again” and says aloud: “Your from Yours brings to You from everyone and for everything."

After the establishing words, the priest prays, remembering these events as having already happened in eternity. He also remembers the Second Coming: after all, as we have already said, the Liturgy for us is a stay in eternity, this is the acquisition of the Kingdom of Heaven, this is the life of the future century, to which we join.

We are already in a completely different world, remembering the mortal danger that we miraculously avoided. At the Liturgy we remember this saving Sacrament, the Cross, the Sepulcher, the Resurrection, sitting at the right hand and the Second Coming, as if we were already in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Following the offering of the Holy Gifts, their transfiguration takes place. The Holy Spirit is called to the offered Gifts - bread and wine - and their transformation into the Body and Blood of Christ occurs.

The priest takes the Holy Gifts in his hands and, raising them above the Throne, proclaims: “Thine from Thine is offered to Thee for all and for all.”

What does the priest bring “Yours from Yours”? We are talking about bringing Proskomedia. You remember that the Paten symbolically depicts the Lamb, the Mother of God, the Church, the holy apostles, all the saints, all the living and the dead surrounding the Lord. The paten, as an image of the universe itself, as an image of the Church itself, ascends to Christ: “We offer Yours to You, from those who belong to You, for everyone and for everything.” Both the Liturgy and the Proskomedia are performed not only in memory of the living and the dead, not just as a prayer for our land, but for the whole world, for the entire universe, for everything that the Lord has created.

We came here and brought You everything we could. Everything we have belongs to God. We brought You Yours. The bread is yours. The water is yours. The wine is yours. I don't have anything of my own. All is yours. And I am Yours...

The path of the Church ascending to Christ is the path of the cross. The priest crosses his arms, offering the Holy Gifts to the Throne before the epiclesis prayer. This is the path of each and all of us together: offering ourselves together with everyone for others, from everyone and for everything - to God. This is the path of ascension and cross-bearing, the only path to Christ, leading to eternal life.

This moment is the beginning of the epiclesis prayer, the culminating part of the Anaphora prayer, in which the invocation of the Holy Spirit takes place on the offered Gifts - bread and wine, and their transmutation into the Body and Blood of Christ.

The choir sings: “We sing to You, we bless You,” and the priest reads a prayer of invoking the Holy Spirit for the Gifts: “We also offer You this verbal and bloodless service, and we ask, and we pray, and we pray, send down Your Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these gifts that are presented.”

This is a very short prayer, which is not heard by us, because at this moment the choir sings, but during this greatest prayer the Holy Gifts are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.

Please note: we ask that the Holy Spirit be sent upon us and upon the Gifts. We ask that all of us be made the Body of Christ, we pray that all of us present in the temple, all the people of God, the whole Church, become the Body of the Lord.

The grace-filled descent of the Holy Spirit cannot bypass us. Not only the bread and wine prepared in advance, but all of us participating in the Liturgy, at this moment - the Eucharist. The grace of the Holy Spirit descends on each of us, transforming us into the Body of Christ.

That is why every Orthodox Christian participating in the Liturgy needs to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Otherwise, all liturgical prayers are meaningless for us. Judge for yourself: here we are standing during the Eucharistic canon, everyone is praying for the Holy Spirit to descend on us, and the Lord sends Him to us, but we refuse to accept Him! We find ourselves in some strange, ambiguous position, first praying for the Gifts, and then turning away from Them.

The significance of the epiclesis is emphasized by a special prayer book, which was not included in the Liturgy by either Basil the Great or John Chrysostom, but is a late addition. I mean the troparion of the Third Hour for the invocation of the Holy Spirit: “Lord, who sent down Your Most Holy Spirit in the third hour by Your Apostle, do not take Him away from us, O Good One, but renew us who pray to You.”

The Troparion is not part of the Eucharistic Prayer; it was introduced as another confirmation that the transfusion of the Holy Gifts does not occur at the moment of calling Jesus, but at the moment of calling the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit performs this Sacrament; it is He who transforms the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.

The priest raises his hands and reads three times: “Create a pure heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

Unfortunately, the troparion interrupts the priestly prayer, so in many Local Churches it is read before the epiclesis prayer.

After this, the deacon, pointing to the Holy Gifts, offers a prayer: “Bless, Master, the Holy Bread.” The priest, continuing the epiclesis prayer, says, pointing to the Lamb: “Create this Bread, the Honorable Body of Thy Christ. Amen". The deacon answers: “Amen” on behalf of the entire Church.

Then the deacon points to the Chalice with the words: “Bless, Master, the Holy Chalice.” The priest adds: “And in this Cup is the Honest Blood of Thy Christ.” The deacon, and with him all the people, answer: “Amen.”

The deacon points first to the Paten, and then to the Chalice: “Bless, Lord of the wallpaper.” The priest, blessing the bread and wine, says: “Translating by Your Holy Spirit.”

The deacon and priest bow before the Throne and repeat “Amen” three times.

The Eucharistic prayer is offered to God the Father. It is to Him that the Church turns, and the Church is the Body of Christ. As the Monk Justin Popovich said, “The Church is our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is a Divine-human organism, and since the Divine-Man addresses God, he addresses Him as the Father. When we ask: “Send down Your Holy Spirit...”, we all turn to God the Father. At this time, this creation of the Flesh and Blood of Christ takes place, as a kind of new creation of the world.

The priest here can only step aside. He blesses this action, but the Sacrament is performed only because the Lord hears His Church. We cry: “Make this Bread the honorable Body of Thy Christ... adding Thy Holy Spirit,” because God sends His Spirit so that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.

The culmination of the Eucharistic Prayer has come, which, unfortunately, for many of us remains almost unnoticed, because few people know what is happening in the altar at this time. This prayer in the Orthodox Church is done in secret, while in the Catholic Church it is said out loud. It is very sad that people standing at the Liturgy at its most grandiose moment do not participate in it with their hearts, with their prayer. The entire Church must repeat loudly: “Amen, Amen, Amen!” when the deacon proclaims this for the entire Church. "Amen!" - our acceptance of what the Lord does. This is our common work with God, in Greek called Liturgy.

Immediately after the prayer of invocation, the priest prays: “As if you are to receive communion for the sobriety of souls, for the remission of sins, for the communion of Your Holy Spirit, for the fulfillment of the Kingdom of Heaven, for boldness towards You, not for judgment or condemnation.”

This prayer sounds especially heartfelt in the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great: “Unite us all, from the one Bread and Chalice who partake of communion, to one another in one communion of the Holy Spirit...”

The priest intercedes before the Lord for the living and the dead: “We again offer this verbal service to You, for those who died in the faith, the forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, abstinents, and for every righteous soul who passed away in the faith. "

The prayer, which began with the words: “It is worthy to eat...” ends with a church intercession for the whole world, which includes all its needs, all the people living in it. This prayer of the Church before the Body and Blood of Christ is a cosmic prayer, it embraces the entire universe. Just as the crucifixion of Christ took place for the life of the whole world, so the Eucharist was celebrated by the Church for the whole world.

We are participating in a most important commemoration: it is as if a second Proskomedia is taking place. Remember how during Proskomedia the priest before the Lamb remembered all the saints, then all the living and all the dead. The same prayer is repeated, but before the true Flesh and Blood of Christ. The priest prays for the universe, for the entire cosmos, and we return to the proskomedia commemoration. The Liturgy again leads us to the very beginning of the sacrifice, because again the whole Church is remembered, but the Church has already been realized, as the Body of Christ.

Preparation for communion

At the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, that part of the Liturgy of the Faithful begins, during which the Church prepares those praying for Holy Communion and the communion of clergy and laity takes place.

A petitionary litany sounds: “Having remembered all the saints, let us pray again and again in peace to the Lord...”, accompanied by special petitions. She spiritually prepares each participant in the Liturgy for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and prays that God will accept our sacrifice, grant us the grace of the Holy Spirit and allow us to accept this Gift without condemnation.

The priest reads: “We offer you our entire life and hope, Lord, Lover of Mankind, and we ask, and we pray, and we pray: grant us worthy to partake of your heavenly and terrible Mysteries, eating sacred and spiritual meals, with a clear conscience, for the remission of sins, in forgiveness of sins, into the communion of the Holy Spirit, into the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven, into boldness towards You, not into judgment or condemnation.”

After this, the priest asks us to be vouchsafed to “call upon us with boldness and without condemnation” the Heavenly Father.

“Our Father” sounds like the Eucharistic prayer. We ask for our daily bread, which during the Eucharist became the Body of Christ. The parishioners gathered for the Liturgy are humanity called to become the Son of God.

Jesus gave the Lord's Prayer to the apostles in response to a request to teach them how to pray. Why are there so many other prayers? If you look closely, they are all, to one degree or another, an adaptation of the Lord’s Prayer; each patristic prayer is its interpretation. In fact, we always offer one prayer to God, it is simply transformed into a prayer rule in relation to various circumstances of our life.

The three components of prayer are repentance, thanksgiving and petition. The Lord's Prayer in this sense is something different. Of course, it contains requests, but unique requests: what we most often forget to ask for. “Our Father” is a pointer on the path to God and a plea for help along this path. The Lord's Prayer concentrates the entire Christian world in itself: everything is collected in it, the whole meaning of Christian life, our life in God, is revealed.

After the prayer “Our Father,” which is the last Eucharistic petition, has sounded, the priest reads the prayer: “Peace to all.” Bow your heads to the Lord” and gives a blessing to the faithful. The parishioners bow their heads, and the priest prays at the altar: “We give thanks to You, the invisible King... Yourself, Master, look from heaven upon His head bowed to You; not because I bowed down to flesh and blood, but to You, the terrible God. Therefore, O Master, you, who are set before us all, level for good, according to each of your needs: float to those who swim, travel to those who travel, heal the sick...”

In this prayer, the priest asks the Lord for earthly things, that He would send according to everyone’s needs: accompany those sailing and traveling, heal the sick... Those gathered can no longer think about their needs, they think about God, and the priest intercedes to help in this search The Kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness would be added and everything else...

The prayer ends with the exclamation: “Grace, and generosity, and love for mankind...” The choir answers: “Amen.” At this moment it is customary to close the curtain of the Royal Doors. The priest reads a prayer for the breaking of Bread and the reception of the Eucharist: “Take in, Lord...”, in which he asks God to give him and all those serving with him, that is, everyone present in the temple, His Body and Blood: “And grant By Your sovereign hand, give us Your Most Pure Body and Honest Blood, and to all of us.”

Standing in front of the Holy Gates, the deacon girds himself with an orar in a cross shape, thereby demonstrating his readiness to serve the Holy Eucharist, and together with the priest three times says: “God, cleanse me a sinner and have mercy on me.”

Seeing that the priest stretches out his hands to the Lamb, the deacon exclaims: “Let us attend,” that is, let us be extremely attentive. The deacon calls the worshipers to stand reverently and enters the altar, and the priest takes the Holy Lamb in his hands, raises it high above the Paten, and says: “Holy of Holies.”

During the communion of the clergy, the altar becomes like the Upper Room of Zion, in which the apostles, together with their Teacher, received Holy Communion.

“Holy of Holies” is a cry heard at the end of the Liturgy, before the faithful approach the Chalice. The Church proclaims that the Holy One will now be taught to the Saints, that is, to each of us.

It is important to understand that, on the one hand, the Lord calls everyone present in the temple to holiness, and on the other hand, he sees this holiness in everyone and already considers everyone a saint, because only saints can be given the Body and Blood of Christ, only saints can communicate with By God and not being destroyed by the Divine flame, only the saints have access to the Kingdom of Heaven. It is during the Eucharist that the Gates of Heaven open.

The Church responds on behalf of all believers: “Holy is one Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.” These words are filled with repentance and contrition of heart. “No one is worthy...” the priest reads when the Cherubic song is heard in the temple.

We cannot afford not to strive for holiness. The liturgy leaves us no other option. Each of us is reminded who we are, what the Lord calls us to, what we should be. Each one is again given the high task that he received in holy baptism. We should not be afraid that we are meant to be saints. We must desire this with all our hearts and apply the words: “Holy of Holies” to ourselves.

Communion of priests and laity

The deacon enters the altar and turns to the priest, who has already placed the Lamb on the Paten: “Break, master, the Holy Bread.” The priest again takes the Lamb and breaks it crosswise into four parts with the words: “The Lamb of God is broken and divided, broken and undivided, always eaten and never consumed, but sanctifying those who partake...”

As you remember, on the seal of the Lamb is inscribed the name of Christ and the word “NIKA”, meaning “victory”. A piece with the inscription “Jesus” is placed on the upper part of the Paten, and a piece with the inscription “Christ” is placed on the lower part.

The top part of the Lamb is called the Pledge. During the Sacrament of Ordination, the ordained priest is brought to the Holy See. The bishop separates the Pledge and places it in the hands of the priest with the words: “Accept this Pledge, for which you will give an answer at the Last Judgment.” The priest holds it over the Throne during the rest of the service as a pledge of the priesthood, a pledge of the most important thing that a priest accomplishes in his life: serving the Liturgy and bringing the people of God to Christ. For this he will have to answer on the Day of Judgment.

When the Lamb is crushed and laid on the Paten, the priest lowers the Deposit into the Chalice and says: “Filling of the Holy Spirit. Amen". After this, the deacon brings warmth, exclaiming: “Bless the warmth, Master,” and pours it into the Chalice with the words: “Fill the warmth of faith with the Holy Spirit. Amen".

This is a prerequisite for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Warmth has a traditional meaning, firstly, because in ancient times they never drank undiluted wine. It was believed that only barbarians drank such wine. In addition, undiluted wine can cause a cough, especially if it is cold. And finally, this is a symbol of the warmth of human faith.

The priest and deacon bow before the Throne. They ask forgiveness from each other and from everyone present in the temple and with reverence they partake first of the Body and then of the Blood of the Savior.

Usually, during the communion of clergy, spiritual chants are sung and prayers are read before holy communion. Parishioners should reverently, with a contrite heart, listen to these prayers, preparing themselves to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

This is followed by the fragmentation of the part of the Lamb with the seal “NIKA”, intended for the communion of the laity. This action is accompanied by the words: “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ...” The priest takes a copy in his hands and carefully crushes the Lamb on a special plate. The particles are carefully poured into the Chalice, and the Chalice itself is covered with a shroud. The curtain of the Royal Doors opens and the deacon takes out the Chalice.

The paten with pieces of Proskomedia remains on the Throne. On it remain the particles taken from the prosphoras in honor of the Mother of God, John the Baptist, the apostles and saints.

“Draw near with the fear of God and faith...” Usually infants are given communion first, and only with the Blood of the Lord. Believers reverently accept the Holy Gifts, kissing the edge of the Chalice. Kissing the Cup symbolizes touching the risen Savior, touching Him and confirming the truth of the Resurrection of Christ. According to the interpretation of some liturgists, the edge of the Chalice symbolizes the rib of Christ.

We must receive communion with the thought: “Lord, with You I am ready to go even to Golgotha!” And then He gives us this great joy - to remain with Him to the end.

After communion, the choir sings “Hallelujah,” and the priest enters the altar and places the Chalice on the Throne. The deacon takes the Paten in his hands and immerses into the Chalice the particles that remained on the Paten with the words: “Wash, Lord, the sins of those who were remembered here by Thy Honest Blood, by the prayers of Thy saints.”

Thus ends the commemoration of the living and the dead, who are immersed in the death and Resurrection of Christ. The cup with particles immersed in it in this case symbolizes the fact that the Lord took upon Himself the sins of the world, washed them with His blood, redeemed them with His crucifixion, death and Resurrection, and granted Eternal Life to everyone.

When it is proclaimed: “... through the prayers of Thy saints,” we are talking not only about those saints of God whose memory is celebrated on this day, although, of course, we resort to their gracious help. In this case we are talking about all the Christians gathered in the temple. That is, through the Blood of Christ and the prayers of the entire Church, sins are washed and forgiven. That is why liturgical prayer is universal prayer, omnipotent prayer.

After the particles are immersed in the Chalice, it is covered with a cover. Covers, a spoon and a star are placed on the Paten. The priest turns his face to the people and, blessing them, says: “Save, God, your people and bless your inheritance.” The choir answers him: “We have seen the True Light, we have received the Heavenly Spirit, we have found true faith, we worship the Undivided Trinity: for she has saved us.”

While singing “We have seen the true light...” the priest transfers the Chalice to the altar, reading to himself the prayer: “Ascend into heaven, O God, and Thy glory throughout all the earth,” as a reminder of the bodily Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the future ascension of us, the deified into the Kingdom of Heaven. This liturgical moment once again emphasizes the true purpose of man, the highest goal of his earthly life.

Please note that all laws of nature operate “descending”, “descending”, akin to the law of attraction. Everything falls to the ground - rain, snow, hail, and we call this world itself fallen. And Christ, ascended to heaven, cancels the inexorability of the laws of the fallen world. He shows us: by his communion with God, man overcomes earthly gravity.

Knowing about all our weaknesses, about our tendency to sin and about the lack of desire for spiritual life, the Lord, nevertheless, exalts our nature, taking it upon Himself. Man is given the opportunity to live, overcoming the laws of the fallen world, rushing upward. There is no other way for a Christian.

The priest censes the Holy Gifts and, having bowed to them, takes the Cup in his hands with the words: “Blessed is our God.” Turning his face to the people, he says: “Always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages,” recalling the Savior’s promise to remain in the Church until the end of the age.

Thanksgiving

The last part of the Liturgy of the Faithful includes thanksgiving for communion and a blessing for leaving the temple.

The choir sings: “May our lips be filled with Thy praise, O Lord...”, and the deacon comes out with the last litany of thanksgiving, beginning with the words: “Having accepted forgiveness...” The word “forgive” in this case comes from the verb “to extend,” that is, a person must stand, reverently rushing towards God.

At this moment, the priest folds the antimension, takes the Gospel and, having drawn a cross on the Throne, reads: “For You are our sanctification, and we send up glory to You...”. Then he goes to read the prayer behind the pulpit: “Let us go out in peace in the name of the Lord... Bless those who bless Thee, O Lord...”

The choir sings: “Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forevermore” and Psalm 33: “I will bless the Lord at all times...”

The priest pronounces the dismissal (from the Greek word ἀπόλυσις - a blessing for those praying to leave the church at the end of the service): “Christ, our true God, risen from the dead...” and, having crossed the people with the cross, holds it out to the parishioners for a kiss. Usually prayers of thanksgiving are read at this time. Having once again made the sign of the cross over the believers, the priest returns to the altar, closes the Royal Doors and draws the curtain.

The service is over. But what is worship? At first glance, the answer is obvious: Christians come to church to serve God. But if we think carefully about this word, we will definitely notice: in fact, it is difficult to say who serves whom here. Like many words and expressions used by the Church, the word “worship” has a double meaning.

What happens at the service is what Jesus did at the Last Supper. Then He gathered the apostles, took a basin of water and began to wash their dirty feet with love, meekness and humility. To wash the feet of everyone, even the traitor, even the one who will soon betray Him. This is the image of true worship - God serves His disciples. When we gather in temple, the Lord washes our feet.

We often tell children: we need to do this, we need to do that... - but we don’t do it ourselves. And the Lord, by his own example, showed us what and how to do. When we are just getting ready to touch Him, He already begins to wash our feet.

Sometimes it seems to us that when we come to Church, we are performing a spiritual feat. Of course: we patiently lined up for confession, submitted memorial notes... Little did we know that, once in the Church, we were invisibly transported to the Upper Room of Zion, where the Lord washed the feet of His disciples, and now it is our turn.

We turn to God, crying out for help, and He immediately begins to serve us, fulfilling our petty desires, helping us solve everyday problems. We begin confession, and He again serves us, washing away the filth from us. Who serves whom at the Divine Liturgy? It is the Lord who gives us His Body and His Blood! It is He who performs service towards us.

The same thing happens in all the Church Sacraments - everywhere the image of washing our feet is embedded, this is the real Divine service. Everything that happens to us in the Church is God’s unceasing service to man. The heavenly world serves us, and the Lord heads it. God accepts everyone who comes to the temple and performs Divine services for us as the High Priest. He expects only one thing from us: that we strive to become like Him.

After washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus commanded them: “If I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, then you should also wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do the same as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15). We should finally realize: our worship is accomplished when we serve our neighbor and when we truly, unfeignedly fulfill the commandments of God.

How else can we serve the Lord? What might God need from us? Our candles? Money? Prayers? Notes? Posts? Of course, God doesn’t need any of this. He only needs our deep, sincere, heartfelt love. Our worship consists of the manifestation of this love. When it becomes the meaning of our life, then everything we do will become a service to God, a continuation of the Divine Liturgy.

The combination of Divine service and thanksgiving, when the Lord serves us, and we serve Him, is the Divine Liturgy, the common work of God and the people of God. In this union the Church is realized as a divine-human organism. Then the Church becomes a truly universal event, a catholic and all-conquering Church.

Uminsky Alexey, archpriest
Divine Liturgy
“Explanation of meaning, significance, content.”
Recommended for publication by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church No. IS 11-116-1715
Signed for publication on March 22, 2012.
Publishing house "Nikea"

About the Liturgy, or How to break out of a vicious circle - a guide to action from Archimandrite Spiridon (Khodanich).

– What is the main meaning of the Liturgy? What parts does it consist of?

– Translated from Greek, the word λειτουργία means service and common cause. The Liturgy is the main divine service of our Church, at which the greatest Sacrament of thanksgiving and gratitude to God (Greek: εὐ-χᾰριστία) is celebrated - the Eucharist.

The sacrament of the Eucharist, or Communion, most closely unites us, people - God's creations, with the Creator and gives us the opportunity to become heirs of the Kingdom of God.

Unfortunately, this world, according to the Apostle John the Theologian, “lies entirely in evil” (1 John 5:19), and we very often forget or do not want to think about the fact that we consist not only of the body, but also of the soul . We take full care of the body: we warm it, feed it, provide it with comfort, but we do not remember about the bird of paradise that lives inside us - the soul. But the words of the Savior are addressed to all of us: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). If a person cares only about bodily well-being, then his soul dies without spiritual food, he becomes, as they say, a living corpse. Unfortunately, I have seen people who have achieved a lot materially, but in their eyes there is emptiness and there is no true joy and peace, freedom. As soon as their capabilities grow, their needs immediately increase, and instead of freedom, they find yet another slavery. This circle is endless and vain... vanity until a person finds Christ and His commandments, the fulfillment of which gives us true joy and freedom. Those who live only for the flesh are doomed. In the words of the apostle: “The works of the flesh are known; they are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, quarrels, envy, anger, strife, disagreements, (temptations), heresies, hatred, murder, drunkenness, disorderly conduct and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do these things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21).

In the temple of God, which is a reflection of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, a person departs from the bustle of earthly life, meets God and, uniting with Him in the most intimate way in the Sacrament of Communion, receives invaluable help, not only physical, but also, most importantly, spiritual. After all, the ability to love, forgive, and endure is the strength of the human soul. Having received this power from God, we fulfill the commandment of Christ and testify with love to each other that we are His disciples: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The liturgy provides us with authentic life in Christ, and not a vain existence. The Liturgy is truly, as Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) said: “...The Lamp of God, lit by Christ the Savior, is a diamond purchased with His Blood.”

The Liturgy consists of three parts: proskomedia, Liturgy of the Catechumens and Liturgy of the Faithful.

– When was the first Liturgy celebrated?

– The first Liturgy was celebrated in the Mother of all Christian Churches – the Upper Room of Zion by Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He gathered His apostles at the Last Supper and celebrated the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Christ broke bread with the words: “...Take, eat: this is My Body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).

– What is the most important part of the Liturgy?

– The most important part of the Liturgy is the Liturgy of the Faithful, during which, during the Eucharistic canon, the Holy Gifts: bread and wine prepared at the proskomedia, by the power and action of the Holy Spirit are transformed into the true Body and true Blood of Christ and are offered up as a saving sacrifice for people to God the Father, after which they are served to the believers for communion.

– What do the words from the Liturgy “Holy to saints” mean? Is it necessary to bow to the ground at these words?

– The offering of the Holy Gifts takes place in the altar with the curtain drawn (catapitasma). Raising the Holy Lamb over the paten, the priest proclaims: “Holy to the saints,” that is, he testifies that the Holy Gifts can only be given to saints. In response to this, with a sense of their own sinfulness, those praying answer: “One is Holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father. Amen".

St. Nicholas Cabasilas also writes: “The priest proclaims, “Holy to the holy,” as if to say, “This is the Bread of Life that you see; hurry to receive communion, but not everyone, but only those who are holy, because the holy is allowed only to the saints.” Here he calls saints not only those who are perfect in virtue, but also all those who strive for that perfection, although they have not yet achieved it.”

There is also the practice of bowing to the ground at the words “Holy to the Holy,” and Archbishop Averky (Taushev) tells us about this: “There is also a custom (which is not accepted by everyone) to bow to the ground at the beginning of the Eucharistic Canon - immediately after the exclamation “We thank the Lord” and with the cry “Holy of Holies.”

The Charter of the Church does not require bowing to the ground on Sundays, on the days of the great twelve feasts, from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost. All these rules were given to us by the holy fathers in the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils: the 20th rule of the first Ecumenical Council and the 90th rule of the sixth Ecumenical Council.

– When performing censing in church, how should you behave: turn your face to the deacon or to the altar?

– Answering this question, it would be appropriate to quote words from the “Explanatory Typikon” by Mikhail Nikolaevich Skabalanovich, Orthodox theologian, exegete and liturgist, professor: “When incense is performed on sacred objects - icons, a temple, it relates to God, giving Him due honor and praise . When the censer turns to people, this testifies that the Holy Spirit descends on all the faithful, as those who bear the image of God. According to tradition, it is customary to bow in response to censing. In church you should always stand facing the altar, so during censing you should not turn your back to it, you just need to turn slightly towards the priest with the censer and bow.”

The question is ambiguous, because many may ask: how then does the priest turn his back to the Throne, saying: “Peace to all”? Most likely, Christ expects from us the reverent filling of all actions performed with a pure heart.

– Is it possible to leave the church immediately after Communion?

- Only in case of emergency! If possible, you must wait until the end of the Liturgy. Imagine how offended the owner of the house will be if his guests leave before the end of the holiday? And we came to the temple to God! Having partaken of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, you need to listen to prayers of gratitude and venerate the Cross, thanking God for His mercy and love.

– When the deacon calls at the Liturgy: “Catechumens, bow your heads to the Lord” – do all Christians need to bow their heads?

– The term “catechumenate” (catechumenate) first appears in the writings of Clement of Alexandria (c. 150), and the first detailed description of the catechumen (catechumenate) in Christian communities belongs to Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170).

As for the catechumens themselves, these are people who have not yet received Baptism, but are already being taught the fundamentals of the faith, learning Christian dogmas and wishing to receive Holy Baptism. Therefore, such people should bow their heads during the calls of the deacon.

– What is proskomedia?

– As mentioned above, proskomedia (from the Greek προσκομιδή - offering, offering) is the first part of the Divine Liturgy. Proskomedia is performed by a bishop or priest on the Holy Altar, and through special sacred rites, the substance for the Eucharist is prepared from the brought bread (prosphora) and wine, while all members of the Church, both living and deceased, are remembered.

– What is the minimum number of participants in the Liturgy?

– Two people: a priest and a choir reader. The Lord in the Gospel tells us: “...If two of you agree on earth to ask for anything, then whatever they ask will be done for them by My Father in Heaven, for where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19–20).

Interviewed by Natalya Goroshkova