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Orthodoxy lessons: what is the divine liturgy. Liturgy and Communion

There are many worship services. Each of them is not only solemn and beautiful. Behind the external rites lies a deep meaning that a believing person needs to understand. In this article, we will tell in simple words about the liturgy. What is it and why is the liturgy considered the most important divine service among Christians?

daily circle

Worship is the outer side of religion. Through prayers, hymns, sermons and sacred rites, people express their reverent feelings for God, thank him and enter into mysterious communion with him. In Old Testament times, it was customary to perform services continuously throughout the day, starting at 6 pm.

What services are included in the daily cycle? Let's list them:

Vespers. It is performed in the evening, thanking God for the past day and asking to bless the approaching night.
Compline. This is a service after dinner, at which parting words are given to everyone getting ready for bed and prayers are read asking the Lord to protect us during the night's rest.
The Midnight Office used to be read at midnight, but is now celebrated before Matins. It is dedicated to the expectation of the second coming of Jesus Christ and the need to always be ready for this event.
Matins are served before sunrise. On it, the creator is thanked for the past night and asked to bless the new day.
Clock services. At a certain time (hours) in the church, it is customary to recall the events of the death and resurrection of the Savior, the descent of the holy spirit on the apostles.
All-night vigil. "Vigil" means "awake." This solemn divine service is performed before Sundays and holidays. Among the ancient Christians, it began with Vespers and lasted all night, including Matins and the first hour. The story of the salvation of sinful mankind through the descent to earth of Christ is remembered by believers during the all-night vigil.
Liturgy. This is the culmination of all worship. During it, the sacrament of communion is performed.

The prototype for her was the Last Supper, for which the Savior gathered his disciples for the last time. He gave them a cup of wine, symbolizing the blood that Jesus shed for humanity. And then he divided the Easter bread among all as a prototype of his body, sacrificed. Through this meal, the Savior gave people himself and ordered to perform a ceremony in memory of him until the end of the world.

What is the liturgy now? This is a memory of the life of Jesus Christ, his miraculous birth, painful death on the cross and ascension to heaven. The central event is the sacrament of communion, at which parishioners partake of sacrificial food. Thus, believers are united with the Savior, and divine grace descends on them. By the way, from the Greek "liturgy" is translated as "joint work". During this service, one is keenly aware of one's own involvement in the church, the unity of the living and the dead, sinners and saints through central figure Jesus Christ.

Liturgical canons

The apostles were the first to serve the liturgy. They did this following the example of Jesus Christ, adding to the sacrament of communion prayer and the reading of the Bible. It is believed that the original order of the service was the apostle James, the brother of the Savior, the son of the carpenter Joseph from his first wife. The canon was transmitted orally from priest to priest.

The text of the liturgy was first written down in the 4th century by Saint and Archbishop Basil the Great. He canonized the version adopted in his homeland (Cappadocia, Asia Minor). However, the rite he proposed was long in time, and not all parishioners endured it. Saint John Chrysostom shortened the service, taking as a basis the original Liturgy of the Apostle James. At present, the canon of Basil the Great is served ten times a year, in special days. The rest of the time, preference is given to the liturgy of Chrysostom.

Divine Liturgy with explanations

In Russia, it was called "mass", as it was done before lunch. The Liturgy is an unusually beautiful, rich service. But only those who realize the deep meaning of what is happening can truly feel it. After all, the main character during the liturgy is not the priest, but the Lord himself. The Holy Spirit invisibly descends on the bread and wine prepared for the sacrament of communion. And they become the flesh and blood of the Savior, through which any person is freed from the sinful beginning.

During the liturgy, the unity of the material and the divine, people and God, which was once broken by Adam and Eve, is restored. In the temple comes the kingdom of heaven, over which time has no power. Everyone present is transferred to the Last Supper, where the Savior personally gives him wine and bread, calling on everyone to be merciful and loving. Now let's take a closer look at each stage of the liturgy.

Submission of notes

What is a liturgy? This is a service during which the boundaries between the kingdom of heaven and earth are erased. We can directly turn to God with a petition for loved ones. But collective prayer is even more powerful. In order for the whole church to pray for people dear to you, living or deceased, you must first submit a note to the candle shop.

To do this, use a special form or a regular sheet of paper on which a cross is drawn. Next, sign: "For health" or "For peace." Prayer during the liturgy is especially needed by people who are sick, suffering, and stumbled. Notes of the dead are served on the birthdays and deaths of a person who has left this world, on his name day. It is allowed to indicate on one sheet of paper from 5 to 10 names. They must be received at baptism. Surnames and patronymics are not required. The note cannot include the names of unbaptized people.

Proskomedia

This word is translated as "bringing". Ancient Christians themselves brought bread, wine, butter and other products necessary for communion to church. This tradition is now lost.

Liturgy in the temple begins secretly, with the altar closed. At this time, the clock is being read. The priest prepares gifts on the altar. To do this, he uses 5 service prosphora in memory of the five loaves with which Jesus fed the crowd. The first of them is called "Lamb" (lamb). This is a symbol of an innocent victim, a type of Jesus Christ. A quadrangular part is cut out of it. Then pieces are taken out of other breads in memory of the Mother of God, all the saints, living clergymen and living laity, deceased Christians.

Then comes the turn of small prosphora. The priest reads the names from the notes submitted by the parishioners and takes out the appropriate number of particles. All pieces are placed on diskos. He becomes a prototype of the church, where the saints and the lost, the sick and the healthy, the living and the departed gather together. Bread is dipped into a cup of wine, which means purification through the blood of Jesus Christ. At the end of the proskomedia, the priest covers the diskos with veils and asks God to bless the gifts.

Liturgy of the catechumens

In ancient times, those who were just preparing for baptism were called catechumens. Anyone can attend this part of the liturgy. It begins with the exit of the deacon from the altar and the exclamation: "Bless, Master!" This is followed by the singing of psalms and prayers. At the liturgy of the catechumens, the life path of the Savior is remembered from birth to mortal suffering.

The climax is the reading of the New Testament. The gospel is solemnly carried out of the northern gates of the altar. A priest walks ahead with a burning candle. This is the light of the teachings of Christ and at the same time a prototype of John the Baptist. The deacon carries the gospel raised up - a symbol of Christ. The priest follows him, bowing his head in obedience to God's will. The procession ends at the pulpit in front of the royal gates. During the reading of the Holy Scriptures, those present should stand with their heads bowed respectfully.

Then the priest voices the notes submitted by the parishioners, the whole church prays for the health and repose of the people indicated in them. The liturgy of the catechumens ends with the exclamation: "Catechumens, depart!" After that, only the baptized remain in the church.

Liturgy of the Faithful

To fully understand what the liturgy is, people who are admitted to communion can. The last part of the service is devoted to the Last Supper, the death of the Savior, his miraculous resurrection, ascension to heaven and the coming second coming. Gifts are brought to the throne, prayers are read, including the most important ones. In chorus the parishioners sing "The Symbol of Faith", which outlines the foundations of Christian teaching, and "Our Father", a gift from Jesus Christ himself.

The culmination of the service is the sacrament of communion. After him, those gathered thank God and pray for all members of the church. At the very end it is sung: "Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever." The priest at this time blesses the parishioners with a cross, everyone in turn approaches him, kisses the cross and goes home in peace.

How to partake properly

Without taking part in this sacrament, you will not feel for yourself what the liturgy is. Before communion, the believer must repent of his sins, confess to the priest. A fast of at least 3 days is also prescribed, during which one should not eat meat, dairy products, eggs and fish. Communion must be taken on an empty stomach. It is also recommended to refrain from smoking and taking medications.

Before communion, cross your arms over your chest, placing your right over your left. Get in line, don't push. When you come to the priest, say the name and open your mouth. A piece of bread dipped in wine will be placed in it. Kiss the priest's cup and step back. Take the prosphora and "warmth" (a drink of wine diluted with water) on the table. Only after that you can talk.

What is a liturgy? This is an opportunity to remember the whole path of the Savior and unite with him in the sacrament of communion. After the service in the temple, a person is strengthened in faith, his soul is filled with light, harmony and peace.

5. "Wonmem" - a call to be especially attentive and concentrated before reading the Holy Scriptures

Liturgical texts

In addition to texts taken directly from the Bible (paroemias, psalms, hymns, etc.), we find two main types of divine services texts: prayers and chants. Prayers are usually read or recited by a bishop or priest and are the center or pinnacle of every liturgical act. They express the meaning of the entire service (prayers at Vespers and Matins) or, when we are talking about the sacraments, perform and perform secret actions (the great Eucharistic Divine Liturgy, the permissive prayer of the sacrament of repentance, etc.). chants constitute the musical part of the worship service. considers singing an important expression of our worship (“I will sing to my God while I am”) and prescribes a wide variety of songs for each service.

The main hymnographic types or forms are:

1. Troparion - a short song expressing the main theme of the celebrated event (holiday, saint's day, etc.) and glorifying 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; it gradually fell out of liturgical use, remaining only in the form of a short song sung at matins (after the 6th ode of the canon), at the liturgy, and at the hours. Every holiday has its own troparion and kontakion.

3. Stichira - belongs to the category of hymns that are sung at certain moments of the service, for example, stichera after the psalm "Lord, I have called" at Vespers, at Matins - stichera at "Praise", etc.

4. Canon - large hymnographic form; consists of 9 songs, including several troparia. There are canons for every day of the year that are sung at Matins, for example, the Paschal canon: "Resurrection Day", Christmas: "Christ is born, praise."

In total, there are eight main melodies, or voices for liturgical singing, so that each hymn is performed in a specific voice (for example, “To the King of Heaven” - in the 6th voice, the Christmas troparion: “Your Christmas, Christ God” - in the 4th, Easter canon - on the 1st, etc.). The indication of the voice always precedes 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 countdown of cycles begins from 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 points to 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 various peoples in a wide variety of forms. But the general and central idea is that the temple is heaven on earth, a place where, by our participation in the liturgy of the Church, we enter into communion with coming age, with the Kingdom of God.

The temple is usually divided into three parts:

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

2. The central part of the temple - it 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 enlightened, sanctified and renewed in the grace of the Holy Spirit. Icons of saints on the walls, candles and all other decorations have the same meaning - the unity of the earthly Church with the Heavenly one, or rather, their identity. Gathered in the temple, we are the visible part, the visible expression of the whole Church, whose head is Christ, and the Mother of God, the prophets, apostles, martyrs and saints are members, just 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. That is why the Church invites us to enter the temple "with faith, reverence and the fear of God." For the same reason, the ancient one did not allow anyone to be present at the services, except for the faithful, that is, those who are already included in the heavenly reality of the Church by faith and baptism (cf. at the liturgy: “Catechumens, come out”). Entering, being with the saints is the greatest gift and honor, therefore the temple is the place where we truly accepted into the Kingdom of God.

3. Altar - place throne. The throne is the mystical center of the church. It 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 with His glorious Ascension, to which we stand together 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; in) his altar, where His full 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 quite right, because icons are more than "decoration" or "art". They have a sacred and liturgical purpose, they testify to our real communication, union with "heaven" - the spiritual and glorified state of the Church. Therefore, icons are more than images. According to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, those whom they depict are really 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 that have been developed over the centuries to express transformed reality. Today, people are again striving to discover the true meaning of icons, to comprehend the real iconographic art. But much more needs to be done to remove from our churches sugary and sentimental images that have nothing to do with the Orthodox understanding of the icon.

An Orthodox church, in its form, structure and decorations, 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 sacrament and expression of the Church), clergy and laity cannot be opposed to each other, but they cannot mix either. The whole is the laity, the people of God, each in it is primarily a member of the church body, an active participant in common life. But within the church people there exists service order, ordained by God for right life Church, to preserve unity, to be faithful to her Divine appointment. 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), teachers(Christ is the Teacher who teaches us the commandments of the new life) and pastoral(Christ is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep and calls each by name.) The one-of-a-kind priesthood of Christ is continued in the Church by a sacred hierarchy that 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 the presbyters, whom he ordains, to be his assistants in government and to lead individual parishes. The bishop and priests are assisted by deacons, who cannot administer the sacraments, but their purpose is to maintain live connection between the hierarchy and the people. This hierarchical structure or order in the Church is expressed in her worship, each member participates in it according to his calling. The whole Church celebrates the Liturgy, and in this common work everyone has his own purpose. It is fitting for the bishop (or priest) to lead the people, to bring the prayer of the Church to God, and to teach the people Divine grace, teaching, and the gifts of God. During the celebration of the liturgy, he reveals a visible icon of Jesus Christ - Who, as a Man, stands before God, uniting and representing all of us, 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 in it the mediatory ministry of Christ. And there can be no 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 those who sail, travel ... captives and about their salvation ...”remembers all who are in difficulties, sick and captive. She must reveal 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 the Christian community is whether or not it places helping others at the center of its life.

“O deliver us 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 keep us, O God, by Your grace.” The last petition helps to realize that "without Me, you can do nothing ..." (). Faith reveals to us how we are completely dependent on the grace of God, on His help and mercy.

“The Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed Our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and each other and our whole life to Christ our God.” The wonderful conclusion of our prayer is the confirmation of our unity in the Church with Heaven, a wonderful opportunity to give ourselves, each other and our whole life 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. It is necessary for every Christian to understand that he comes to the Church not for individual, private, separate prayer, but to be truly included in the prayer of Christ.

Antiphons and the 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 the faithful. Special antiphons are performed in special days, seasons, 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 made it possible for us 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 age, that is, in this life, the knowledge of the Truth, and in the coming age, eternal life.

3 . Reading Apostle.

4 . Singing "Hallelujah" and incense.

5 . Reading of the Gospel by the 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 - a special "gift of teaching" - belongs to the priest. The liturgical sermon, which the Fathers of the Church considered an important and integral part of the Eucharist, is expression of the teaching mission in the church. It cannot be neglected (because, we repeat, the sermon is an organic part of the preparation for the sacramental part of the Eucharist), it cannot be deviated from its sole purpose: to convey to the people the Word of God, by which the Church lives and grows. It's also wrong to preach after Eucharist, it essentially belongs to the first instructive part of the service and complements the reading of the Holy Scriptures.

The liturgy of the catechumens ends with a special litany, the prayer of "diligent supplication", prayers for the catechumens, and the exclamation: "Catechumens, depart."

Augmented Litany

The Special Litany and its concluding prayer ("the special petition") differs from the Great Litany; its purpose is to pray for the actual and immediate needs of the community. In the Great Litany, the worshiper is called to pray with the Church, combining his needs with the needs of the Church. Here the Church prays with each one individually, 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 may announce these special needs (illness of a member of the parish, or "silver" wedding, or graduation ceremony at school, etc.) and ask to take part in prayers for them. This Litany should express the unity, solidarity and mutual concern of all members of the parish.

Prayers for the catechumens

Prayers for the catechumens remind us Golden time in the history of the Church, when the mission, that is, the conversion of unbelievers to Christ, was considered necessary task Churches. “Go, therefore, teach all nations” (). These prayers are a reproach to our parishes, immobile, closed and “egocentric” 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 “works” (building, investment, etc.) and not enough about mission (about the participation of each community in the common work 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 Chrismation, are sealed as members of the Body of Christ and as such are 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 ntimins on the Throne, meaning preparation for the Last Supper, Antimins (“instead of the table”) is a sign of unity of each community with its bishop. It bears the signature of the bishop, who gives it to the priest and the 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. “Without a bishop, no one should do anything pertaining to the Church. Only that Eucharist should be considered true, which is celebrated by the bishop or by those to whom he himself will grant it. Wherever there is a bishop, there must be a people, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is also the Catholic Church” (Epistle to Smyrn., ch. 8). Having a sacred dignity, the 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 communion with the sacrifice of Christ, since we are His Body and partakers of His Life. Sacrifice is the natural movement of love, which is the gift of self-giving, the renunciation of oneself for the sake of another. When I love someone, my life in 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 perfect and absolute sacrifice, because it is the mystery of Absolute Love. God is a 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 a 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 essential for a correct understanding of the Eucharist, and above all its sacrificial quality. God so loved the world that gave (sacrificed) His Son to us to bring us back to Himself. The Son of God so loved His Father that He gave Himself to Him. His whole life was a perfect, absolute, sacrificial movement. He accomplished it as a God-Man, not only according to His Divinity, but also according to His Humanity, which He assumed through His Divine love for us. In Himself He restored human life to its perfection, as a sacrifice of love for God, sacrifice not out of fear, not out of any "profit", 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 their original relationship with God. Therefore the life of the Church, being His life in us and our life in Him, is always sacrificial it is the eternal movement of love for God. Both the basic state and the basic action of the Church, which is the new humanity restored by Christ, is Eucharist - an act of love, gratitude and sacrifice.

Now we can understand at this first stage of the Eucharistic movement that the Bread and Wine 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 life is "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 the sacrifice of Christ, it is not a new sacrifice. Christ sacrificed Himself, and His sacrifice—complete and perfect—does not require a new sacrifice. But the meaning of our Eucharistic offering lies precisely in the fact that it gives us the invaluable opportunity to “enter” into the sacrifice of Christ, to partake of His only Sacrifice of Himself to God. In other words: His one and only 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. He who did not understand the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist, who came get, but not to give, He did not accept the very spirit of the Church, which is, first of all, the acceptance of Christ's sacrifice and participation in it.

Thus, in the procession of the 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 the Lord of lords comes to be slaughtered and given as food to the faithful" (Chant of Great Saturday). This is His Entrance as Priest and Victim; and in Him and with Him we are also on the diskos, as members of His Body, partakers of His Humanity. “Now let us lay aside all worldly cares,” the choir sings, and, indeed, aren’t all our cares and concerns perceived in this only and ultimate care that transforms our whole life, in this path of love that leads us to the Source, the 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 the Head of the new humanity, thus Christ is our offering. Bread and wine - symbols of our life and therefore of 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 to Heaven, we were partakers of His Eucharist, being His, His Body and His people. Now thanks to Him and in Him our offering received. The one we sacrificed, Christ, we now receive: Christ. We gave our lives to Him and now we receive His life as a gift. We have united ourselves with Christ, and now He unites Himself with us. The Eucharist is now moving 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 fulfillment is consecration. The Path of the Eucharistic Ascension ends the offering of the Holy Gifts priest: "Your from Yours brings You ...", and the Epiclesis Prayer (Invocation of the Holy Spirit), in which we implore God to send down His Holy Spirit and create "This bread is the precious body of your Christ" and wine in the Chalice "by the precious blood of thy Christ" transubstantiating them: "Changing by Your Holy Spirit."

Holy Spirit performs the action of God, or rather, He embodies this Action. He - Love, Life, Fullness. His descent at Pentecost means the fulfillment, completion and achievement of the entire history of Salvation, its accomplishment. In His coming, the saving work of Christ is communicated to us as a Divine Gift. Pentecost is the beginning in this world of the Kingdom of God, a new age. lives by the Holy Spirit, in her life everything is achieved by the gift of the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from God, dwells in the Son, from whom we we receive a revelation about the Son as our Savior and about the Father as our Father. His perfective act in the Eucharist, in the transubstantiation of our Eucharist into the Gift of Christ to us (hence in Orthodoxy a special attitude to the epiclesis, to calling Holy Spirit) means that the Eucharist is received in 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 times 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-transposition, unfortunately, sometimes passed off as Orthodox) or in terms of time (“the exact moment of transubstantiation”) are not sufficient, vain precisely because that they apply to the Eucharist the categories of “this world”, while the very essence of the Eucharist is outside these categories, but introduces us into dimensions and concepts new century. Transubstantiation occurs not because of some miraculous power left by Christ to some people (priests), who therefore can perform a miracle, but because we are in Christ, i.e. in His Sacrifice of Love, Ascension on His entire path to 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 has commanded us, we are accepted where He has entered. And when we are accepted, “let you eat and drink at the table in My Kingdom” (). Since the Kingdom of Heaven is He 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 the 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 wine. But in a wonderful, transformed reality Kingdom - revealed and revealed in the Church - they truly and absolutely the true Body, and the true Blood of Christ.

Intercessory Prayers

Now we stand before the Gifts in the perfect joy of God's presence and prepare for the last act of the Divine Liturgy - the acceptance of the Gifts in communion. Tem Nevertheless, the last and necessary remains - petition. Christ is eternally interceding for the whole world. He Himself Intercession and Petition. Communion of Him, we, therefore, are also filled with the same love and how we receive Him His ministry - 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 - innumerable witnesses new life in Christ. We intercede for them, not because they need it, but because the Christ we pray to is their Life, their Priest, and their Glory. 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 redemption, but also of glorifying God, “Wonderful in His Saints,” and communion with the saints. We begin our prayer with remembrance Mother of God and saints, because the presence of Christ is also them presence, and the Eucharist is the highest revelation about communion with the saints, about 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 that has died in the faith." How far from the true Orthodox spirit are those who consider it necessary to serve as often as possible "private funeral liturgies" for the repose of individuals, as if there could be anything private in the all-embracing Eucharist! It is time for us to realize that for the dead the Church should be included in the Eucharist, and not vice versa: in the subordination of the Eucharist to the personal needs of individuals. We want our own liturgy for our own needs… What a profound 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 a state of death, separation and sadness, it is especially necessary to be accepted again and again into that only 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 age, in a new life. The Eucharist crosses the hopeless line between the living and the dead, because it transcends the line between the present age and the age to come. For all "are dead, 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. The deceased members of the Church are not only the “objects” of our prayers, but because of their belonging to 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 One Who commands is Christ, and he ordered Churches to offer the Eucharist as an offering of the Whole Body and always "for everyone and everything." So, although we need a liturgy for the commemoration of “everyone and everything,” its only real purpose is the unification of “everyone and everything” in the love of God.

“O Saints, Councilors and Apostles of the 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, a prayer of supplication, 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 in selfishness and the liturgy, captivating us in its movement of sacrificial love, reveals to us that, apart from everything else, true religion provides this new amazing opportunity to intercede and pray for others per everyone. In this sense, the Eucharist is truly a sacrifice for everyone and everything, and intercession - its logical and necessary conclusion.

"First draw, 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 St. Cyprian of Carthage, and when we pray for the bishop for the real well-being of the Church, for her standing in divine truth, for the Church to be the Church of God's presence, His healing Power, His Love, His Truth. And would not be, as is often the case, a selfish, self-centered community, defending its human interests instead of the divine purpose for which it exists. The Church so easily becomes an institution, a bureaucracy, a fund to raise money, a nationality, 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 people “hunger and thirst for the truth” 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 meal, 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 in ourselves the spirit of "the prince of this world." Otherwise, what we accept will serve not for our salvation, but for condemnation. There is no magic in Christianity, and it is not belonging to the Church that saves, but the acceptance of the Spirit of Christ, and this Spirit will condemn not only individuals, but meetings, parishes, dioceses. The parish as a human institution can easily replace Christ with something else—a spirit of worldly success, human pride, and the "accomplishments" of the human mind. Temptation is always near; it tempts. And then he, 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 not compatible with the Spirit of Christ. It is for the gift of courage, wisdom, love and fidelity to the clergy that we pray in this prayer.

“And give us with one mouth and with one heart to glorify and sing of Your most honorable and magnificent Name ...” One mouth, one heart, one redeemed humanity restored in the love and knowledge of God—such 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 His incomprehensible mercy. The Eucharistic is over and we now come to execution everything that the Eucharist revealed to us, to Communion, that is, to 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 breaking of the Holy Bread, (5) the pouring of "warmth" (i.e. hot water) into Chalice, (6) communion of the clergy, (7) communion of the laity.

(1) Preparatory secret prayer: “We offer you our whole 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 take communion unworthily, communion will be “for condemnation” to us. We pray that the sacrament "Imams of Christ live in our hearts and we will be the Temple of Your Holy Spirit." This expresses the main idea of the entire liturgy, again confronts us with the meaning of this Sacrament, this time paying special attention to private nature of the perception of the Mystery, on a responsibility, which she imposes on those who partake of her.

We, as the Church of God, have been given and commanded to "do" all this, to celebrate 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 the prayers of the synaxis and the prayers of the faithful), and we remember this now as we stand before the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. More than ever, we are aware of the need for our redemption, healing, cleansing, 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, all his life, approaching the Sacrament. This preparation should not be neglected; we are reminded of this by the prayer before communion: “Let communion of Thy Holy Mysteries be not for judgment or condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.”

(2) Lord's The Lord's Prayer is 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, i.e., really 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 whole of church life. No one can bridge the gulf between the Creator and creation, between the absolute perfection of God and the created life of man, nothing and no one except Him Who, being God, became Man and in Himself united two natures. The prayer which He gave to His disciples is both the expression and the fruit of this one and only saving act of Christ. it 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 Not His Father became embroidered by the Father and we can speak to Him in the words of His Son. Therefore we pray: “And vouchsafe us, Master, with boldness not condemned to dare to call upon You, Heavenly God the Father, and say…”. The Lord's Prayer is for the Church and the 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 gift to the new prayers in Christ, an 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, made it his, we are ready for communion. This is the measure of our unity with Christ, our being in Him.

"Let it be holy your 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 whole 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 last preparation, and the Lord's is the consummation of the Eucharistic Prayer, transforming us into partakers. Daily bread.

(3) "Peace to all", - the priest says, and then: "Bend your heads to the Lord." Communion, like the whole life of the Church, is the fruit of peace, achieved by Christ. The bowing of the head is the simplest, albeit significant, act of worship, the expression of one's own obedience. We partake in obedience and obedience. We are not entitled to Communion. It exceeds all our desires and possibilities. This is a free gift of God and we must receive command Accept him. False piety is very widespread, because of which people refuse Communion because of their unworthiness. There are priests who openly teach that the laity should not take communion "too often", at least "once a year". It 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 sly interpretation of the words of the Apostle Paul: “Let a man examine 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 our condemnation. But we are not free from this condemnation, so the only correct, traditional and truly Orthodox approach to Communion is obedience, and it is so well and simply expressed in our preparatory prayers: “I am not worthy, Lord God, let me enter under the shelter of my soul, but if you want to, you, like a philanthropist, live in me, daring, I proceed: You command ...”. Here obedience to God in the Church, but commands the celebration of the Eucharist, will be a great step forward in our understanding of the Church when we realize that the “Eucharistic individualism”, which has turned ninety percent of our liturgies into a Eucharist without partaking, is the result of perverted piety and false humility.

As we stand with our heads bowed, the priest recites a prayer in which he asks God to grant fruit Communion to each according to his need (in the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom). “Bowing your heads to You, bless, sanctify, observe, affirm”(liturgy of St. Basil the Great). Each communion is 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 to guide and sanctify this path. In another prayer, he asks Christ: “Beware, Lord Jesus Christ. .. stay here invisibly to us. And make me worthy by Your sovereign hand to give us Your Most Pure Body and precious Blood, and us - all the people ... ". The priest takes the Divine bread in his hands and, raising it, says: "Holy to the Holy". 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 replies: "One is Holy, One is Lord." And yet come and receive, because He He sanctified us with His holiness, made us His holy people. Again and 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 that is given to many is the One Christ, who became the life of many, uniting them in Himself. “And all of us, from the one Bread and the Chalice of those who partake, unite to each other in one Holy Spirit communion”(liturgy of St. Basil the Great, prayer for the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts). Then the priest, breaking bread, says: “The Lamb of God is broken and divided, broken and not divided, always eaten and never dependent, but sanctify 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 Holy Bread, the priest lowers it into the Holy Chalice, which means our communion of the Body and Blood of the Resurrected Christ, and pours “warmth”, i.e. hot water, into the Chalice. 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 celebration of the whole service, the sealing of the Eucharist, our offering, sacrifice and thanksgiving through the participation of the community in it. Therefore, only the excommunicated did not receive communion and had to leave the Eucharistic Assembly together with the catechumens. Everyone received the Holy Gifts, They transformed her into the Body of Christ. Here we cannot enter into an explanation of why and when the general church liturgical understanding of Communion was replaced by an individualistic understanding, how and when the community of believers became a "non-communing" 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 a spiritual rebirth arose, it always arose and led to the "thirst and hunger" of 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 rebirth of the Church.

For the remission of sins and eternal life... says the priest, teaching the Gifts to himself and to 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 eternal life, kingdoms, fullness of the "new age". These two basic human needs are met 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 brief essay, it is impossible even to summarize what the Church fathers and saints said about their communion experience, even mention all the wonderful fruits of this communion with Christ. At least we will point out the most important directions reflection on the sacrament and efforts to follow the teachings of the Church. Communion is given, first, for the remission of sins and therefore it sacrament of reconciliation realized by Christ by His Sacrifice and bestowed forever on those who believe in Him. Thus, Communion is staple food a Christian that strengthens his spiritual life, heals his illnesses, affirms his faith, and makes him capable of leading a true Christian life in this world. Finally, Communion is “a sign of eternal life”, the expectation of joy, peace and the fullness of the Kingdom, anticipation his Light. Communion is at the same time participation in the sufferings 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 the Blood is shed, and by partaking of Them, we accept His Cross. But “by the Cross joy entered into the world,” and this joy is ours when we are at His table. Communion is given to me personally in order to make me a “member of Christ”, in order to unite me with all who accept Him, in order to reveal the Church to me 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.

First, the clergy receive communion, then the laity. AT contemporary practice clergy-bishops, priests and deacons - commune in the altar separately of the Body and Blood. 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 believers, saying: "Come with the fear of God and faith" and the communicants approach the Divine Meal one by one, arms crossed 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: “We have seen the true Light, received the Heavenly Spirit, we have gained the true faith…”. We sing this hymn after the priest places the Chalice on the Throne and blesses us: "Save Thy people and bless Thy inheritance." We came in 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 attached to the life of "this world." But we came with love, and hope, and faith in the mercy of God. We came hungry and thirsty, poor and miserable, and Christ accepted us, accepted the offering of our miserable life, and brought us into His Divine Glory and made us participants in His Divine Life. “Videhom the True Light…” For a while we postponed "every worldly care" and let Christ lead us in His Ascension to His Kingdom in His Eucharist. Nothing was required of us but 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 prepared for us, He changed our sight so that we saw heaven and earth full of His Glory. He satiated 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 Spirit of Heaven..." And now time is returning. The time of this world is not over yet. The hour of our passage to the Father of all life has not yet come. And Christ is sending us back as witnesses of what we have seen to proclaim His Kingdom and continue His work. We must not be afraid: 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 be ours always, now and ever and forever and ever." 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.” replies - "Keep us in Your Holy Place." Keep 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 gratitude for the Gifts received: "Correct our path, establish everything in Your fear, keep our stomach, strengthen our feet ...". The return took place when the priest leaves the altar with the words: "Let's leave in peace!" joins the worshipers and reads the prayer beyond the ambo. As at the beginning of the liturgy input the priest to the altar and the ascension to the Holy See (high place) expressed the Eucharistic movement up, so now the return to the believers expresses care, the return of the Church to the world. This also means that the eucharistic movement of the priest is over. Fulfilling the Priesthood of Christ, the priest led us to the heavenly Throne, and from that Throne he made us partakers of the Kingdom. He was to fulfill and bring to pass the eternal mediation of Christ.

Through His humanity we ascend to heaven, and through His divinity God comes to us. Now it's all done. Having received the Body and Blood of Christ, having seen the Light of Truth and becoming partakers of the Holy Spirit, we are indeed His people and His property. The priest at the Throne has nothing else 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 a shepherd and teacher back into the world to fulfill the Christian mission.

When we are ready go out in peace, that is, in Christ and with Christ, we ask in the last prayer that the fullness of the Church, that the Eucharist, brought by us and in which we have partaken, and which again revealed the fullness of Christ's presence and life in the Church, be observed and preserved intact until we come together again, as in obedience to the Lord of the Church, we begin again the ascent into His Kingdom, which will reach its consummation in 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 a priest while consuming the Holy Gifts: “Be fulfilled and perfect, as much as we can, Christ our God, the sacrament of Your seeing; For your death has your memory, we have seen your Resurrection image, we will be filled with your endless food, even in the future you will be honored with good will, the grace of your Father without beginning, and the Holy, and the Good, and your Life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. 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 over evil, Presence, which makes our whole life life in Christ.

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

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

Development of Christian Worship

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

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

Sermon and Eucharist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Development in the first centuries

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

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

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

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

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

Structure and practice of services

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

The concept of liturgical hours

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

The daily cycle of worship can be represented as follows:

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

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

Daily services and their names

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

evening;
morning;
daily.

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

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

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

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

Content and sequence of the liturgy

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

Observance of the sacrament of the Eucharist

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

Proskomedia.
Liturgy of the catechumens.
Liturgy of the Faithful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The symbolic meaning of the liturgy

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

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

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

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

Variants of the Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Every religion or denomination has the most important ministries in churches. In Christianity, the word "liturgy" is used, which in itself has a translation from the Greek language and means "common cause." Each person who knows the designation of this term interprets its meaning in his own way, but if he turns to official sources, then we get the following answer: the liturgy is the most important Christian service, which is accompanied by the sacrament of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is communion with bread and wine, as Jesus Christ commanded, for His remembrance, because it was he, according to theologians, who celebrated the first Liturgy. In other words, if the sacrament of the Eucharist is performed, then such a service has the character of a Liturgy.

Time of the main Christian services

In modern divine services, there are three main types of Liturgy, the origins of which were laid at the beginning of the first millennium of our era. There are certain rules by which such services are arranged throughout the year. They should not cross each other, and eventually fill orthodox calendar with notes for each individual Liturgy.

The liturgies of St. John Chrysostom are celebrated constantly, when the other two are not:

There are only ten liturgies for St. Basil the Great. They are performed only on the Sundays of Great Lent, except for Palm Sunday. This type of worship is conducted on Maundy Thursday and Saturday on Holy Week. An obligatory divine service is the celebration of the Liturgy on the Day of Basil the Great itself - January 14, in order to honor the memory of this saint.
And the last holiday when they celebrate the Liturgy of the saint is Christmas and the Baptism of the Lord.
The third type of Liturgy has several names depending on the venue and denomination. It includes the Liturgies: double words, the Pope, the previously consecrated Gifts, St. Gregory the Great. They are held only on Wednesday and Friday, but also once on Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent. During Passion Week, the Liturgy is celebrated on the first three days of the week.
Also, this service is held on March 9 and 22 in memory of John the Baptist and the forty martyrs of Sebaste. If the temple has a rich history and its saints, who are revered by other Christians, then this particular Liturgy is celebrated on a significant day.

What is the Liturgy

All three types of the most important divine services also consist of three parts:

Proskomedia- Preparation of the Eucharist. The clergyman commits necessary rituals at the altar for the consecration of prosphora (bread and wine). During this stage, the souls of all the living and the dead are commemorated - the priest first takes out the prosphora (crushes bread) and immerses it in wine separately for each, accompanying this with a special prayer. Such a prayer is considered the most effective in the cleansing of sins for other people. Parishioners at this time read the Hours (accompanying prayers and psalms).
The second stage of worship Liturgy of the catechumens . If only baptized people could participate and be present in the first part of the meeting, then during the second part there are also those people who are being prepared for baptism. The second stage of the service is led by a deacon who has received a blessing from the priest. His speech begins and ends with the same words. First, he blesses the Holy Trinity and pronounces the Great Litany. During the Liturgy of the catechumens, it is customary for the choir to sing antiphons (psalms that are sung in turn by the left and right parts).
The final stage of worship is called Liturgy of the Faithful. According to the church charter, only church people and those to whom there are no personal comments from the priest and deacon can take part in this part of the service.

In practice, everyone is present at the Liturgy of the Faithful. The priests believe that the main spiritual meaning is revealed only to the faithful, so the presence of the unchurched does not interfere with the completion of the service. The most important action during the entire assembly is Anaphora, which implies the consecration of gifts. The action begins with the fact that the Gifts are transferred from the altar to the throne. The faithful are preparing for consecration, the Anaphora ritual is performed, which is accompanied by prayers from the clergy and chants of the parishioners.

After this, the faithful take Communion. The priest prays, the deacon echoes his blessings, and the parishioners are dismissed.
In fact, the listed elements of the Liturgy are the backbone of the service, and in each church it is conducted in its own way. As a rule, the priest determines the order itself and the passage of some rituals, but in general they do not differ from each other.

There are also definitions of the days on which the celebration of the Liturgy is prohibited, but as a rule these are local prohibitions. It is the Liturgy as it is that inspires believers and ordinary parishioners with its amazing spiritual atmosphere.

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, the Orthodox 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, at the Last Supper, Christ 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 Divine Liturgy was called mass, Catholics spend communion at Mass.

The first Christians in Jewish society were perceived as a sect, and therefore were persecuted. Bringing the gospel of Christ to the world, talking about the meaning of the Eucharist, the disciples of Jesus were constantly attacked by society, so often their services were held under the cloak of secrecy.

After ministering to the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul stood up for the proposal to admit newly converted Gentiles to communion without observing the Law of Moses on circumcision. At the first services, psalms were read almost daily, sermons were said, prayers were sung, and all services ended with the remembrance of the Last Supper. At common prayers, Christians broke bread every day and took wine, remembering the earthly life of the Savior.

Later this action will be called the Eucharist, which is central part Divine service. Unlike Jews, Christians:

refused bloody sacrifices, accepting a single and the last victim, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ;
can ordain any person on earth who has accepted Christianity, and not just Aaron's descendants;
the whole world is chosen as the place of service;
prayer services can be held both during the day and at night;
introduced hours during the service.

liturgical hours

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

The Liturgical Hours is a special rite of prayers, which is read in the temple at a certain

After hours, which begin at six in the evening, there is a regular service.

Divine service begins with Vespers and Vespers, which begin at 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm respectively.

The night service ends at midnight, followed by Matins, beginning at 7 a.m., with the First Hour Prayer. The third hour is read at 9 a.m., the Sixth at 12.00, and the Ninth hour ends at 3 p.m. The Divine Liturgy is served from the Third to the Ninth Hours, although each church has its own schedule.

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

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

Sequence of the Divine Liturgy

The sacrament of Communion in Orthodoxy is called the Eucharist, the service at which Communion is performed is the Liturgy. This word in Greek consists of two components, the first means public, comes from part of the word "lithos", the second - "ergos" in translation means service.

The liturgy, as a rule, is performed before dinner 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 foundation and the symbolism remained unchanged.

Items for the Liturgy

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

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

Proskomedia

During the reading of the salutary and requiem 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, recalling all the prophecies from the Old Testament about the birth of the Messiah and the Nativity of Jesus itself. During the 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 converted to Orthodoxy through Baptism were admitted to it, but also those who are preparing to do this, catechumens. This part of the Divine service is called upon 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 "Alleluia" and verses from the Psalter, after which the sermon is read again, which ends with a litany - a prayer petition. 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 themselves.

On a note! Previously, the catechumens left the temple, at present they remain in place, but only as observers, 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 detour:

throne;
altar;
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 the Eucharistic Prayer, which remembers The Last Supper, the Holy Spirit is called and an intercessory petition sounds 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 recited by a priest

Communion begins after reading the Jesus Prayer "Our Father". Christians must fast for three days before receiving Communion. The Divine Liturgy is a symbol of the reproduction of the life of the Savior 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 Most High for Communion, after which the parishioners are released in peace to their homes.

Varieties of Liturgies according to the Byzantine Rite

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

Ten times during the year, the Liturgy of Basil the Great is performed, which is distinguished by longer prayers.

During Great Lent, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, written by Gregory the Dialogist, is heard. There is no Proskomidia at this service, the Eucharist is celebrated with previously consecrated bread and wine.

A number of parishes Orthodox Church the Great Divine Liturgy of James is held abroad, hallmark which are some permutations in anaphora.

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

Explanation of the Divine Liturgy

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Orthodoxy lessons: what is the divine liturgy. Liturgy and Communion

daily circle

Liturgical canons

Divine Liturgy with explanations

Submission of notes

Proskomedia

Liturgy of the catechumens

Liturgy of the Faithful

How to partake properly

Liturgical texts

Priest and Parish

Antiphons and the Entrance

Augmented Litany

Prayers for the catechumens

Liturgy of the Faithful

Offering

consecration

Intercessory Prayers

communion

Development of Christian Worship

Sermon and Eucharist

Development in the first centuries

Structure and practice of services

The concept of liturgical hours

Daily services and their names

Content and sequence of the liturgy

Observance of the sacrament of the Eucharist

The symbolic meaning of the liturgy

Variants of the Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite

What is the Liturgy

Christian Foundations of the Eucharist

liturgical hours

Sequence of the Divine Liturgy

Proskomedia

Liturgy of the catechumens

Liturgy of the Faithful

Varieties of Liturgies according to the Byzantine Rite

What else to read

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