Explanation of the Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy (from Greek: "the work of the people") is the most important service of the Church, during which the main sacrament is received – the Sacrament of Holy Communion, also known as the Eucharist (from Greek: "thanksgiving"). By participating in this sacrament, Christians are thanking God for their life and for everything, both joys and sorrows.

The first Liturgy was performed by our Lord Jesus Christ in the upper room at the Last Supper, and each Liturgy is a mystical continuation of this event. Believers gather together in church to glorify God "with one mouth and one heart", and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

The Liturgy can be divided into three parts:

(from Greek: "offering") — Wine and bread (prosphora) are prepared for the Eucharist, and the priest commemorates the souls of Orthodox Christians. While saying their names, the priest removes particles from the prosphora. During this time, anyone in church can pray for the health and salvation of their relatives and loved ones, both living and dead. Only Orthodox Christians are commemorated during this time. While priests in the altar perform the proskomeda, someone in the choir usually reads special prayers called “the hours”.

During the reading of the hours, we are called to remember Christ’s trial before Pontius Pilate, the suffering of our Savior, how He was led to Calvary, how He was crucified, and how darkness fell over the whole land (Luke 23:44).

Before the beginning of the Liturgy, the priest censes the altar, the clergy, and the worshipers in the church. They respond with a bow. The incense symbolizes the Holy Spirit filling the temple with God’s grace and consecrating the faithful.

This part of the Liturgy may be attended by catechumens, i.e. those receiving instruction in the Christian faith, preparing for Holy Baptism.

The Liturgy begins when the priest praises the Holy Trinity, saying, “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages”. The doxology is the highest form of prayer, in which man seems to forget himself, and all the powers of his soul are inspired to praise and glorify the Creator.

Representing the entire church community, the choir then joins in the praise of the Kingdom of God by singing “Amen”, which means “let it truly be so”.

The clergy proclaims the Litany of Peace, calling all Christians to be in peace with God and others. He prays for the church, the Patriarch, the bishop, the priesthood, the congregation, the nation, the authorities, the military, all believers, travelers, sufferers, captives, the fertility of the earth, deliverance from tribulations, and the salvation of souls.

The choir sings three antiphons, including “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 102), “Praise the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 145), and “In Thy Kingdom remember us, O Lord”. They also sing the Beatitudes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) — every Christian needs to be familiar with this. The antiphons are separated from one another by the Small Litanies “Again and again, in peace, let us pray to the Lord...”

The First Antiphon calls believers to the inner heartfelt glorification of God, according to the word of the Holy Apostle Paul, who commanded Christians to believe in the truth in their hearts, and to confess God with their mouths for salvation. In the Second Antiphon, Christians are called to confess God not only with their mouths, but also with their whole lives.

The second antiphon ends with a hymn to Jesus Christ, “O Only-begotten Son”, in which we ask Christ to save us, and we acknowledge Him as God incarnate by the Most Holy Theotokos. We recognize that He saves the human race through His atoning death on the Cross. After the Third Antiphon, during the singing of the Beatitudes, the Little Entrance takes place:

The candle bearer walks before the deacon, marking the light of New Testament Grace. The deacon carries the Gospel book, which represents Christ the Savior bringing His Word to the people. The priest represents the holy apostles. At the Royal Doors, the deacon makes the sign of the cross with the Gospel and he enters the Altar. This reminds us that through our Savior’s sufferings, the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven is open to all believers. The cry, “Wisdom, aright!”, is a call to believers to listen to the wisdom of God, and to stand in awe.

Then the troparia of the feast and the Thrice-Holy Hymn are sung, during which the head priest stands at the High Place, facing the people, reminding us of the salvation of the human race by Christ the Savior, and His ascension to God the Father in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The reading of the Epistle (letters in the New Testament) reminds us of the preaching of the Holy Apostles. Believers prepare themselves for attentive reading by the proclamation, “Let us attend!” The reading of the Gospel (from Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) is the preaching of Christ Himself. In some churches, after reading the Gospel, the priest preaches a sermon.

Then the Litany of Fervent Supplication is prayed, for the health and salvation of all believers. On certain days, the Litany for the Departed is also prayed, commemorating Orthodox Christians who have died. Next comes the Litany of the Catechumens (sometimes omitted).

After the catechumens leave the room, the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins. This is a mystical part of the Liturgy, which should be attended only by the faithful children of the Church. The Liturgy of the Eucharist includes Communion in the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

During the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, the Holy Gifts (bread & wine) are brought to the altar via the Great Entrance: The candle bearer walks before the Holy Gifts, representing the fire of prayer. The Holy Gifts represent the Lord, carrying His Cross towards Calvary. According to the Gospel narrative, at this time the sun was covered with darkness, the earth was shaken, coffins were opened, and the power of demons was cast into hell.

At this moment of trembling, Christians in the church can commemorate their Christian relatives and loved ones, and they can read Psalm 50.

After commemorating the Patriarch and all Orthodox Christians, the priest puts the Holy Gifts on the altar, representing the Lord in the tomb. The Royal Doors are closed, reminding us that after the Savior’s crucifixion, His soul descended into hades to bring out all the righteous from the Old Testament. The closing of the veil represents the stone the Jews used to seal the tomb.

During the Litany of Supplication, we ask the Lord for earthly and heavenly mercies.

The veil of the Royal Doors is opened, representing the Resurrection of Christ our Savior.

The people sing the Nicene Creed, which is the confession of our Orthodox Christian faith. The Nicene Creed contains all the basic doctrines (dogmas) set out in short but precise words.

The Nicene Creed must be learned and understood by every Orthodox Christian.

Then the deacon solemnly and loudly proclaims, “Let us stand well. Let us stand with fear. Let us attend…”, that is, standing with fear and awe, we pay attention to what is going on.

The Eucharistic Canon of thanksgiving begins – this is the most important part of the Liturgy, when the bread and wine become the true Body and true Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

At this time, the Christians present become participants in the Last Supper of Christ.

The choir slowly and quietly sings “We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, and we pray unto Thee, O our God…” A priest with upright hands prays for the blessing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descends, consecrating both the people and the Holy Gifts. From this moment on, on the altar, under the image of bread and wine, Christ God Himself is fully present.

During the singing of the prayer “It is truly meet to bless...”, which glorifies the Theotokos, the names of living and deceased men and relatives are commemorated.

Then comes the Litany “Having called to remembrance all the Saints…” At the Liturgy we participate in close communication with all the saints, so we remember them again as our closest intercessors before God.

After the litany, the prayer "Our Father" [the Lord’s Prayer] is sung publicly. This is a prayer that every Christian should know by heart and also understand what it says.

The priest at the Altar, lifting up the Holy Lamb [the Eucharistic bread], proclaims, “Holy Things are for the holy”. This exclamation, which arose in ancient times, means that the Holy Mysteries are intended for those Christians who are striving for spiritual perfection, zealous for pleasing God, eager for the transfiguration and salvation of their souls.

Eucharist (Communion) is the Sacrament where a believer partakes of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and God, unto the remission of sins and participation in Eternal Life.

Our Lord himself said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves” (John 6:53). For believers, the fact of the actual transformation of bread and wine into the Body and the Blood of Christ is undeniable, though this most miraculous Sacrament is comprehended by faith alone, and not by the reasoning of human wisdom.

For Holy Communion to bring about the sanctification and salvation of the soul, it is necessary to lead a strict Christian life and commit no mortal sins. Therefore, Holy Communion is for those Christians who keep the fasts, follow the prayer rule (The Order of Preparation for Holy Communion), confess their sins to a priest, and receive the priest’s blessing to take Communion.

“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [in death].” (1 Corinthians 11:28-30).

St. Nicholas Cabasilas explains, “Grace will sanctify us through the sacred offerings if it finds us ready and fit for sanctification; if it should, on the other hand, find us unprepared, not only do we reap no benefit, but we suffer grave harm and loss”.

After Communion, the priest takes the particles of bread that had been removed from the prosphora at the Proskomedia, and immerses all of them in the Holy Chalice with the words, “By Thy precious Blood, O Lord, wash away the sins of those here commemorated, through
the intercessions of Thy saints”. Of course, one should understand that such a mysterious participation in the Liturgy does not replace the Sacrament of Confession.

The priest then holds the Holy Gifts in his hands, stands at the Royal Doors, faces the people and proclaims, “Always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages”, and takes the Gifts to the altar where Proskomedia had been offered. At this time, we remember the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into the Heavenly Kingdom, His eternal sojourn with believers on earth in the Sacraments of the Church, and His Glorious Second Coming. “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into Heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into Heaven” (Acts 1:11).

At the end of the Liturgy, the deacon proclaims a Litany of Thanksgiving.

After the Dismissal of the Liturgy, where the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints of the day are commemorated, the choir sings and the priest preaches a sermon. Then all believers venerate the cross, the participants listen to the Thanksgiving Prayers for Holy Communion, and then everyone goes home, being careful not to lose the grace of God in vain works, using one’s remaining time for doing good works and praying to God.