The Divine Liturgy: of Our Father Among The Saints

The Divine Liturgy
of
our Father among the Saints

John Chrysostom
(With Commentary and Notes)
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The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is today the primary worship service of
over 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world, from Greece to Finland, from
Russia to Tanzania, from Japan to Kenya, Bulgaria to Australia. It is celebrated in dozens
of languages, from the original Greek it was written in to English and French, Slavonic
and Swahili, Korean and Arabic.

What does the word Liturgy mean? Liturgy is a Greek word that in classical times
referred to the performance of a public duty; in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of
the Old Testament made some 300 years before the coming of Christ and still used by the
Church today, it referred to worship in the Temple in Jerusalem; and for Orthodox
Christians it has come to mean the public worship of the Church. Because Liturgy is
always a corporate, communal action, it is often translated as the work of the people
and because it is prefaced by the word Divine it is specifically the work of Gods
people and an experience of Gods coming Kingdom here and now by those who gather
to worship Him. This means that the Liturgy is not something that the clergy "performs"
for the laity. The Liturgy was never meant to be a performance or a spectacle merely to
be witnessed by onlookers. All who are present for worship must be willing, conscious
and active participants and not merely passive spectators. The laity con-celebrate with the
officiating clergy as baptized believers and members of the "royal priesthooda people
belonging to God" (1 Peter 2:9).

The Divine Liturgy is also called the Eucharist. The Christian Eucharist is a meal
specifically connected with the Passover meal of the Old Testament commemorating the
liberation of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt as told in the Book of Exodus.
At the Last Supper with His disciples, Christ transformed this ancient Passover ritual into
an act done in remembrance of Him: His life, teaching, death and resurrection. He is the
new and eternal Passover lamb whose sacrificial death and resurrection from the dead
frees all of humanity from slavery to sin, evil and death and opens the path to forgiveness
and liberation from sin, freedom from death, eternal life and the coming of the Kingdom
of God. Eucharistia is the ancient Greek word for thanksgiving or gratitude. The
Eucharist is an expression of gratitude to God for the gifts of His Son and Spirit, our
redemption and freedom.

Who was St. John Chrysostom? St. John Chrysostom (347-407AD), the 4
th
century
Patriarch of Constantinople, was one of the most important saints and Fathers of the
Church and is revered as a preacher, teacher and liturgist. He was so well known for his
preaching that after his death he was given the title , a word that means the
man with the golden mouth. During his sermons, his congregation would often burst
into applause. Eloquent and uncompromising, he spoke out forcefully against political
and clerical corruption, the conspicuous consumption of the wealthy, and for the needs of
the poor and disenfranchised of his day. Preaching that "feeding the hungry is a greater
work than raising the dead," he was responsible for initiating ministry to Constantinople's
poor, with the Church providing meals for several thousand people every day. More than
600 of his homilies have survived. He had a deep love for the Scriptures and, as
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware once wrote, "he can truly be called an evangelical." His
series of 55 sermons on the Acts of the Apostles are the only surviving commentary on
that book of the Bible from the first 1,000 years of Christian history. His treatise On the
Priesthood which discusses the requirements and responsibilities of those who would
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seek to serve Christ and His Church as bishops, priests and deacons is still read in
Orthodox seminaries to this day. "When the priest calls upon the Holy Spirit,"
Chrysostom wrote, "angels attend him and the whole sanctuary is filled with the heavenly
hosts." Although the Liturgy that bears his name has changed in a number of details over
the centuries, it is certain that the central prayer of the Eucharistic anaphora - or prayer of
gratitude and offering - goes back to him. John died in 407AD while still in exile for his
preaching against the excesses and corruption of the imperial court. His final words were
Glory to God for everything! His memory is celebrated by Orthodox Christians on
November 13
th
each year; and by Roman Catholics, Anglicans and some Lutherans on
September 13
th
.

The Divine Liturgy celebrates the intersection of heaven and earth. There is a story
in the Russian Primary Chronicle, the earliest written account of the history of Russia, of
how Prince Vladimir of Kiev (958-1015AD), while still a pagan, desired to know which
was the true religion, and therefore sent envoys to visit the various countries of the world
in turn. They examined both Judaism and Islam, going first to the Muslim Bulgars of the
Volga and then to the Jewish Khazars, but continued on their way dissatisfied. Traveling
next to Germany, they found Christian worship more satisfactory, but complained that the
services they attended lacked beauty. Finally they journeyed to Constantinople, and
having attended a Divine Liturgy celebrated in the great Church of the Holy Wisdom,
they reported back to Vladimir that during the celebration of the Liturgy we knew not
whether we were in heaven or on earth. We cannot describe it to you. Only this we know:
God dwells there among men, and their service surpasses the worship of all other places;
for we cannot forget that beauty.

We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. When we participate in the
celebration of the Divine Liturgy with eyes that really see and ears that really hear we
stand in the Presence of God and catch a glimpse of His eternal Kingdom. Although our
worship takes place in this world, in the context of space and time, it touches upon the
transcendent reality that we address as the one, true and living God. St. Germanos, the 7
th
century Patriarch of Constantinople and author of one of the first commentaries on the
Divine Liturgy, described the Divine Liturgy as an awesome sacrifice and the clear
image of heavenly realities. During the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, the Church is
the Temple of God, a house of prayer, a holy place, an assembly of the people, heaven on
earthand resonates with the cross, tomb and resurrection of Christ. When we gather
for worship we offer our praise to the Father, through His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, in
the Holy Spirit. To attend the Divine Liturgy prayerfully and attentively, with ones heart
open to the descent of the Holy Spirit, and receiving the gifts of the bread and wine
Christs Body and Blood - in the sacrament of Holy Communion, is to participate in what
St. Nicholas Cabasilas, the 14
th
century Byzantine mystic, described as the greatest of
the Mysteriesbeyond which it is not possible to go. It is to fulfill the words of the
Lord Jesus that true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23)
and that those who eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood have eternal life
and will live in Me and I in them (John 6:53-56).

The Service of Preparation: Prior to the beginning of the Liturgy there is a special
Service of Preparation for the bread and wine distributed during the Eucharist called in
Greek the proskomede or prothesis (literally, a setting forth or presentation of the
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bread and wine). Originating in the 8
th
century, the service in its present form probably
dates from the 14
th
century. Originally performed by deacons, today the service is
normally done by a priest who may be assisted by a deacon during the Orthros or Service
of Morning Prayer that precedes the Liturgy. In cutting the bread in preparation for its
distribution as the Body of Christ during the Liturgy, prophetic verses from the 53
rd

chapter of the Book of Isaiah are recited that refer to the coming Messiah as Gods
Suffering Servant, describing Him in terms of the lambs sacrificed at Passover. At the
pouring of the wine and water into the chalice in preparation for its distribution as the
Blood of Christ, the priest recites verses from the Gospel of John (19:34-35) that describe
the blood and water that poured forth from the side of the Lord Jesus after a Roman
soldier pierced His side with a spear during the crucifixion to see if He was dead. In
addition to the preparation of the bread and wine for use at the Eucharist, the Proskomede
is also a service of remembrance and intercession: many of the saints are commemorated,
ranging from the prophets of the Old Testament to the apostles, from bishops to martyrs,
from monks and nuns to miracle-workers; and prayers of intercession are offered for
those members of the local congregation and others who are sick and suffering, as well as
for those Christians who "have died in hope of resurrection to eternal life" as the prayer
says. When the Service of Preparation is completed, the prepared gifts are prayed over a
final time, incensed and then covered with specially decorated cloths called kalemata or
veils, ready to be carried in procession during the celebration of the Liturgy.

The Divine Liturgy is structurally divided into two parts. The first part of the Divine
Liturgy is called the synaxis, the gathering or assembly of the Church. Christians are
called out of the world called by the Word of God in the Spirit to gather together as a
community in order to offer praise and worship to the one God, our Father, and be
transformed by our relationship to Him. This is, in fact, the literal meaning of the New
Testament Greek word ekklesia, used in the Gospel of Matthew and the Letters of St.
Paul and normally translated by the word church in English. It is precisely this
assembly this gathering of the People of God in response to His call in order to
celebrate our worship that constitutes the Church as the Body of Christ (Ephesians
1:23; Colossians 1:18). This first part of the Liturgy is primarily didactic and
instructional. Because its focus is the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ and
culminates in the reading of the Scriptures and the sermon, it is also called the Liturgy of
the Word. However, the Liturgy of the Word is not merely instructional in an intellectual
sense. This is why hymns are sung, requests are prayed for and the glory of God is
praised. As St. John Cassian (c. 360-435AD) has written: the hymns, prayers and the
Scripture readings will only make sense to those who are striving to live a life worthy of
the Gospel and open to being enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Because of its emphasis on
instruction, it is also occasionally referred to as the Liturgy of the Catechumens. A
catechumen is an individual who is in the process of converting to Christianity and is
under instruction before baptism. The word comes from the Greek word katechein,
meaning "to instruct orally." In the ancient Church, catechumens as well as those not
prepared to receive the Holy Communion were required to leave the building before the
beginning of the Eucharist. This second part of the Liturgy culminates in the receiving of
Holy Communion, called Eucharistia or Thanksgiving, and is entitled the Liturgy of the
Eucharist. The Eucharist was reserved only for baptized Christians who lived their faith
and as such, it is often called the Liturgy of the Faithful.
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The Divine Liturgy is therefore composed of: 1.) The Synaxis, the Liturgy of the
Word, sometimes also called the Liturgy of the Catechumens; and 2.) the Liturgy of
the Eucharist, or the Liturgy of the Faithful. In ancient times, the Liturgy of the Word
began with what is today called the Small Entrance in which the clergy and the laity, led
by the Bishop and the Gospel Book, would enter the Church and process up to the ambo,
an oblong platform or lectern with steps that stood in the center of the Church, in what is
today called the nave. The Scriptures were read from it; chanters would often lead the
congregation in singing from it, St. John Chrysostom preached his sermons from it and
even public announcements were made from its steps. Today the Liturgy of the Word
starts with Blessed is the Kingdom . . . and ends with the call for the catechumens to
depart. The latter entreaty is not always read today since catechumens are no longer
required to leave as was the case in ancient times. In current practice, these two divisions
are not particularly clear for several reasons. First, we no longer expect people to leave
before the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Second, Byzantine church architecture was slightly
different than todays. Originally, the first part of the service did not take place at the
altar, but revolved around the ambo, or as we might say today, the pulpit. Third,
according to the rubrics, the sermon is to immediately follow the Gospel reading. This
created a natural pause between the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist. Today,
however, the service often simply continues after the reading of the Gospel and for
pastoral reasons, the sermon is placed at the end of the Liturgy, separating the reading of
the Gospel from its proclamation.

Every Divine Liturgy is a festive event, a celebration which people are to come to
with "joyful and generous hearts" (Acts 2:46) and not out of a sense of duty or
obligation. The Divine Liturgy is the fundamental activity of the Church, the most
intimate facet of the Churchs living faith in Jesus Christ and a function of the Holy Spirit
within the body of believers. Do we come to Church on Sunday mornings to celebrate?
Do we come with a sense of gratitude for all that has been done for us in Christ Jesus? Do
we come because we are filled with peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17)?
Do we come knowing that in the Liturgy we stand in His Presence?

Father Thomas Hopko, the dean emeritus of St. Vladimirs Seminary in New York, has
lamented that unfortunately, our highly praised liturgical tradition is for the most part
unknown and unlived by great numbers of our people. And Father Alexander
Elchaninov (1881-1934), a well-known spiritual father forced to live in exile in France
following the Russian Revolution, wrote in his book The Diary of a Russian Priest: "We
know little, and in most cases do not try to find out anything about our church services,
about the life of the Church. We should fill this gap and become living members of the
Church! Few people today even realize that the so-called choir speaks and sings in the
name of the entire congregation and that in the early Church there were none of those
specially trained professional singers who now perform this duty. All sang, testifying to
their own faith and with a sense of responsibility for the words they uttered. Sometimes
we do not even know the words. And how many understand them? When we attend a
service in the Church, we seem to sign a letter we have not read, to assume duties which
we ignore. Christianity is not merely a philosophical system, it is a life, a special way of
life and this must be studied and lived continuously. The Church is alive and will live
forever! Let us not hang like dry, withered leaves on this ever-living tree!"
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THE DIVINE LITURGY OF
SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Priest: Blessed is the kingdom (cf. Mark 11:10) of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit (cf. Matthew 28:29), now and forever and to the ages of ages (Ephesians 3:21).

People: Amen. (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48)

THE ANTIPHONS

THE GREAT LITANY or LITANY OF PEACE

*Priest: In peace let us pray to the Lord (Acts 8:24).

People: Lord, have mercy (cf. Deuteronomy 4:31; Daniel 9:9; Matthew15:22; 20:30).

*Priest: For the peace of God (Philippians 4:7) and the salvation of our souls (1 Peter
1:9) let us pray to the Lord (Acts 8:24).

People: Lord, have mercy (cf. Matthew 15:22; 20:30).

*Priest: For peace in the whole world (cf. Zechariah 1:11), for the stability of the holy
churches of God (1 Corinthians 15:9), and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
______________________________________________________________________

*The parts of the Liturgy belonging to the deacon are marked with an asterisk.

Scripture

"Strive first for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 5:33).

"The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21)

"The Kingdom of God isrighteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans
14:17).

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and
do not be afraid (John 14:27).

In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have
overcome the world (John 16:33)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were
called to peace. And be thankful! (Colossians 4:15).

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
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Blessed is the Kingdom

The opening proclamation of the Divine Liturgy is the announcement of our destination
and goal in life: the Kingdom of God and the Liturgy is a pilgrimage toward and a
participation in His Kingdom. This announcement brings out the stark contrast and
ultimate choice that everyone must make: Do I seek first the Kingdom of God and its
righteousness (Matthew 6:33) or am I more interested in building my own little kingdom
with my life, the kingdom of ME? We begin the Liturgy by saying, Blessed is the
Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit because following Jesus means
that we have to set the Kingdom of God as the highest priority in our lives and stop trying
to build the Kingdom of Me. And when we say the Lords Prayer in the Liturgy, the
priest ends the Prayer by singing, Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit to remind us that its His Kingdom that
is of ultimate importance and not ours.

In her book Dangerous Surrender, Kay Warren the wife of Saddleback pastor Rick
Warren examines her inner life and writes eloquently about the Kingdom of Me: Not
only do I seek complete control of everything around me, but my greatest and deepest
love is reserved for myself. I am desperately in love with myself. If I am completely
honest, I have to admit that there are many times when I want the world to revolve
around me my comfort, my pleasure, my convenience. I desire that othersmake me
happy, meet my needs and refrain from offending me, hurting me, wounding me,
upsetting me or irritating me. I want to be understood, appreciated, acknowledged,
elevated, praised, valued, attended to, catered to, respected, admired, accommodated,
listened to, loved, adored and cherished. My greatest efforts every day go toward
myself." Can we not see ourselves in that paragraph? Writing in the Philokalia, St.
Maximos the Confessor (580-682AD) calls this philautia or self-love and says that this
obsessive and narcissistic love of self is at the root of all human sinfulness, lust for
power, hatred and violence. The first maxim of the spiritual life is given to us by St. John
the Baptist in the Gospel of John (3:30): He must increase, but I must decrease. In
order to follow the Lord Jesus and enter His Kingdom we must deny ourselves all of
our self-centered ways of seeing the world around us and our selfish behavior that results
from this distorted vision and pick up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).

What is the Great Litany?

The Liturgy is a school of prayer, teaching us how to pray and what to pray for. The
Great Litany is a series of requests to God. As Father Lev Gillet (1893-1980) has written,
the Great Litany opens with a request that God's peace be given to us, a state of inner
peace, the ridding of our minds and hearts of every obsession with "worldly things,"
hostile feelings and personal anxiety in order to worship the living God in a state of inner
calmness, trusting attentiveness and singular concentration on "the one thing necessary"
(Luke 10:42). Notice also that in many of these petitions we are praying for very concrete
human needs: for the overall welfare and unity of our churches; for our local parish and
the people in it; for religious and civil leaders like our bishops and priests as well as our
national and local civil leaders; for an end to every war and all strife between nations and
peoples; for good weather and adequate food; for those who are sick and suffering; for
safe travel; and for our deliverance from distress, danger and want. We end by entrusting
ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ before praising the Holy Trinity.
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Priest: For this holy house (cf. Psalm 93:5) and for those who enter it with faith
(Hebrews 11:1; James 2:20), reverence (Leviticus 19:30; Hebrews 12:28), and the fear of
God (2 Corinthians 7:1), let us pray to the Lord (cf. Acts 8:24).


*Priest: For our Archbishop (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-7) (Name), the honorable presbyters
(Titus 1:5-6), the deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13) in the service of Christ, for all the clergy
and the laity, let us pray to the Lord (cf. Acts 8:24).


*Priest: For our country, the president, and for all those in public service, let us pray to
the Lord (cf. Acts 8:24).


*Priest: For this parish and city, for every city and country, and for the faithful who live
in them, let us pray to the Lord (cf. Acts 8:24).


*Priest: For favorable weather, an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for temperate
seasons, let us pray to the Lord (cf. Acts 8:24).

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Scripture

"Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forevermore" (Psalm 93:5).

How lovely is your house, O Lord Almighty. My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts
of the Lord. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising you!
Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a door
keeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked (Psalm 84:1,2,4,10).

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made
for everyone for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and serene
lives in all piety and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior (1Timothy
2:1-3a).

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city.pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers,
you too will prosper (Jeremiah 29:7).

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime. It is the Lord who makes the storm clouds. He
gives showers of rain and plants of the field to everyone (Zechariah 10:1).

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*Priest: For travelers by land, sea, and air; for the sick, the suffering, the captives, and
for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord (cf. Acts 8:24).


*Priest: For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to


*Priest: Help us, save us (Psalm 109:26), have mercy upon us (Psalm 51:1), and protect
us (Psalm 32:7; 40:11 and 2 Thessalonians 3:3), O God, by Your grace.


*Priest: Remembering our most holy, pure, blessed (Luke 1:46), and glorious Lady, the
Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints (Revelation 8:3), let us commit
ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

People: To You, O Lord (Psalm 25:1).

Priest (in a low voice): Lord, our God, whose power is beyond compare, and glory is
beyond understanding; whose mercy is boundless, and love for us is beyond words to
describe: Master, look upon us and upon this holy house (Psalm 93:5) in Your
compassion. Grant to us and to those who pray with us the riches of Your mercy and
compassion (Ephesians 2:4).

For to You belongs all glory, honor and worship to the Father and to the Son and to the
Holy Spirit (cf. Matthew 28:29), now and forever and to the ages of ages (1Timothy1:17).

People: Amen (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48).

Examples of Doxology in the Scriptures

"To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory to the
ages of ages. Amen" (1 Timothy 1:17).

"The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for His heavenly Kingdom.
To Him be glory to the ages of ages. Amen" (2 Timothy 4:18).

"To Him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more
than all we can imagine, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all
generations and to the ages of ages. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).

"To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power
and authority before all ages and to the ages of ages. Amen" (Jude 25).

"To the One seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing, honor, glory and power to
the ages of ages" (Revelation 5:13).
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THE FIRST ANTIPHON

(The designated verses from the Book of Psalms are sung with the following short hymn)

People: By the intercession of the Theotokos, Savior, save us (cf. Matthew 8:25) (3x).

*Priest: Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord (Acts 8:24).




ourselves and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.

Scripture

On most, though not all Sundays of the year, the three designated verses from the Book
of Psalms that are sung with the hymn "By the intercessions of the Theotokos" at the
first antiphon are:

"Bless the Lord, O my soul! May all that is within me bless His holy Name" (Psalm 103:1).

"Bless the Lord, O my soul and do not forget all the gifts that come from Him" (Psalm 103:2).

"The Lord has established His throne in heaven; over all things His kingship is supreme"
(Psalm 103:19).

Commentary What are the Antiphons?

Structurally, the Great Litany or Litany of Peace is followed by what most Liturgy books
call the Antiphons: a series of verses from the Bible that on Sundays are usually,
although not always, drawn from Psalms 103 and 146 and sung by a cantor, each verse
then followed by a refrain that was to be sung by the congregation as a whole. In ancient
times the Liturgy began with what we now call the "Little or Small Entrance". In 7
th

century Constantinople the people came in long processions through the city, singing
psalms, and assembled in the forecourt of the Great Church of the Holy Wisdom, i.e.
Christ, to await the arrival of the Patriarch and the Emperor. On some occasions they
might wait just inside the many doorways of the church singing psalms and praying. The
Great Litany or Litany of Peace, with the Antiphons and the short Litanies and prayers
that follow it, are survivals of this ancient practice.

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Priest (in a low voice): Lord our God, save Your people and bless Your
inheritance (Psalm 28:9); protect the whole body of Your Church; sanctify those
who love the beauty of Your house (Psalm 26:8); glorify them in return by Your
divine power (2 Peter 1:3); and do not forsake us (Psalm 27:9-10) who hope in
You (cf. Psalm 39:7; 71:5; 1 Timothy 1:1; 1 John 3:3).

Priest: For Yours is the dominion, Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (cf. Matthew 28:29), now and forever and to
the ages of ages (Ephesians 3:21).
THE SECOND ANTIPHON

(The designated verses from the Book of Psalms are sung with the following hymn)

People: Save us (cf. Matthew 8:25), O Son of God (John 20:31), ("who rose from the
dead"),
1
to You we sing: Alleluia (Psalm 150:6) (3x). Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit (cf. Matthew 28:29); both now and forever and to the ages of ages.
Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
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1
On weekdays we sing (who is wondrous in Your saints").
Scripture

On most, though not all Sundays of the year, the three designated verses from the Book
of Psalms sung with the hymn "Save us, O Son of God" at the second antiphon are:

"Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord all my life! I will sing to the Lord as
long as I live" (Psalm 146:1).

"Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God"
(Psalm 146:5).

"The Lord is King forever; your God, O Zion, rules from generation to generation"
(Psalm 146:10).

Commentary Praise the Lord, O my soul!

In the Liturgy we constantly praise the Name of the Lord. All Christians are to proclaim
the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
Praising God is not simply one thing that we do among many others; it is everything! We
are called to praise God in everything that we say and everything that we do, by the
content of our character and the quality of our lives. In this sense, praise and worship are
not merely something we occasionally do on Sunday mornings: it is a lifestyle, an entire
way of living that expresses our commitment to Christ. Worship in Spirit and in Truth
(John 4:24) always implies integrity, commitment and compassion in our day-to-day
living. As Metropolitan Anthony Bloom (1914-2003) once remarked, Christians should
try to live in such a way that if the Gospels were lost, they could be re-written by looking
at us.
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THE HYMN OF JUSTINIAN

Only begotten Son (John 1:18) and Word of God (John 1:1), although immortal You
humbled Yourself for our salvation, taking flesh from the holy Theotokos and ever virgin
Mary and, without change, becoming man. Christ, our God, You were crucified but
conquered death by death. You are one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and
the Holy Spirit save us.

*Priest: Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord (Acts 8:24).




*Priest: Remembering our most holy, pure, blessed (Luke 1:46) and glorious Lady, the
ourselves and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.


Priest (in a low voice): Lord, You have given us grace to offer these common
prayers with one heart. You have promised to grant the requests of two or three
gathered in Your name (Matthew 18: 19-20). Fulfill now the petitions of Your
servants for our benefit, giving us the knowledge of Your truth (1 Timothy 2:4) in
this world, and granting us eternal life in the age to come (Luke 18:30).

Priest: For you are a good and loving God and to You do we offer glory, to the Father
and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit (cf. Matthew 28:29), now and forever and to the
ages of ages (Ephesians 3:21).

________________________________________________________________________

Commentary The Hymn of Justinian

The second Antiphon is followed by a sort of mini-Creed, the hymn Only-begotten Son
and Word of God It is an excellent summary of the essentials of the Christian faith in
the Holy Trinity and in the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the
Word of God made flesh. Well worth learning by heart, this hymn dates from the sixth
century and is attributed by the majority of contemporary liturgical scholars to the Roman
Emperor Justinian (482-565AD), the man responsible for the construction of the Great
Church of the Holy Wisdom in Constantinople. The hymn Only-begotten Son and Word
of God, which ends the second Antiphon, was originally the Entrance Hymn or, in
Greek, the Eisodikon, of the Liturgy, as it still is today in the Liturgy of St James: this
was the beginning of the Liturgy when the clergy came, not from within the Altar, but
from the narthex, or vestibule, through the main doors of the church together with the
laity.
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THE THIRD ANTIPHON

(The designated verses of the Psalms are sung with the Apolytikion,
which on Sundays is a special hymn honoring the Resurrection of Christ.)

THE SMALL ENTRANCE

(While the Hymn honoring the Resurrection or Apolytikion is sung,
the priest, carrying the holy Gospel Book, comes in procession before the Beautiful Gate
of the Iconostasis offering in a low voice the following prayer)

Master and Lord our God, You have established in heaven the orders and hosts of
angels (cf. Hebrews 12:22) and archangels to minister to Your glory. Grant that
the holy angels (Matthew 25:31) may enter with us that together we may serve
and glorify Your goodness. For to You belongs all glory (cf. Psalm 96:8), honor,
and worship to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:29),
now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen (Ephesians 3:21).

(The priest blesses the entrance saying in a low voice) Blessed is the entrance of Your
saints always, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

(He then raises the holy Gospel Book above his head and says)

*Priest: Wisdom. Let us stand!

People: Come, let us worship and bow down (Psalm 95:6) before Christ. Save us, O Son
of God (1 John 5:5) (who rose from the dead),
1
to You we sing: Alleluia (Psalm 150:6).

(The priest enters the sanctuary. The Apolytikion is repeated and the Hymn
honoring the saint of the parish or Troparion in Greek and the Kontakion of
the day usually a hymn honoring the Theotokos are sung.)
________________________
1
On weekdays we sing: (who are wondrous among Your saints), while the Feasts of the Lord have their
own special Entrance Hymns.

Commentary The Small or Little Entrance

Father Alexander Schmemann (1921-1983) wrote: "We meet the expression 'Little Entrance' (as
distinct from the Great Entrance at the beginning of the Liturgy of the faithful) for the first time
in manuscripts of the 14
th
century. This was the time of the final and definitive consolidation of
the Eucharistic ordo into its contemporary state. We know that for a long time this entrance was
the beginning of the Liturgy, its first rite. In contemporary practice, this entrance is above all the
entrance with the Gospels, i.e. the solemn carrying of the Gospel book out from and then back
into the altar through the royal doors. In several manuscripts it is even called 'the entrance with
the Gospels.' In essence the entrance consists in drawing near to the altar, which was from the
beginning the focus of the temple, its holy place. And therefore the entrance, the drawing near to
the altar, is always an ascent. In it the Church ascends to the place where her genuine life is
hidden with Christ in God, as St. Paul writes in Colossians 3:3. She ascends to heaven where
the Eucharist is celebrated. The Eucharist is always a going out from 'this world' and an ascent
to heaven. All our worship services therefore, are an ascent to the altar and a return back to 'this
world' for witness to what no eye has seen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what
God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
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THE TRISAGION HYMN

*Priest: Let us pray to the Lord (Acts 8:24).


Priest (in a low voice): Holy God (Daniel 4:9), You dwell among Your saints.
You are praised by the Seraphim with the thrice holy hymn (Isaiah 6:2-3) and
glorified by the Cherubim and worshipped by all the heavenly powers. You have
brought all things out of nothing into being (2 Maccabees 7:28). You have
created man and woman in Your image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) and adorned
them with all the gifts of Your grace. You give wisdom and understanding (2
Chronicles 1:10) to the supplicant and do not overlook the sinner but have
established repentance as the way of salvation. You have enabled us, Your lowly
and unworthy servants (Matthew 25:31), to stand at this hour before the glory of
Your holy altar (cf. Exodus 29:37) and to offer to You due worship and praise.
Master, accept the thrice holy hymn also from the lips of us sinners and visit us in
Your goodness. Forgive our voluntary and involuntary transgressions, sanctify
our souls and bodies, and grant that we may worship and serve You in holiness all
the days of our lives (cf. Luke 1:74-75), by the intercessions of the holy
Theotokos and of all the saints (Revelation 8:3) who have pleased You throughout
the ages.

Priest: For You are holy, our God (cf. Leviticus 19:2), and to You we give glory, to the
Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever . . .*and to the ages of ages.

People: Amen. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3x).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:29); both now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17). Holy Immortal, have mercy on
us.

Commentary The Trisagion Hymn

The solemn singing of the Trisagion, the thrice-holy hymn praising the Most Holy
Trinity, is one of the most important and oldest of our Orthodox hymns. The story told
about the origin of this hymn connects it to an earthquake that shook Constantinople
sometime in 450AD. The earthquake proved catastrophic and people gathered in the
streets and began praying, asking God to have mercy on them, singing Kyrie eleison or
Lord, have mercy. During this tragedy a small boy came forward and said that, in a
vision, he had heard the hymn of the angels gathered around the throne of God, singing
what we today call the Trisagion: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy
on us. The people took up this chant and the aftershocks ceased. Clearly based on the
song of the angelic Seraphim heard by the Prophet Isaiah (6:5), by the end of the 6
th

century, the Trisagion had been incorporated into the text of the Liturgy. Today, the
Trisagion constitutes the last part of the Great Doxology at Matins and should also be
part of every Orthodox Christians morning and evening prayers. It is even sung in Greek
and Latin on Holy Friday at St. Peter's Basilica in the Roman Catholic Church.
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In the Orthodox tradition the Trisagion is primarily understood as a hymn to the Most
Holy Trinity. St. John of Damascus (676-749AD) wrote a whole book explaining the
meaning of this hymn! This teaching is best summed up in a hymn written by the
Emperor Leo the Wise (866-912AD) for the feast of Pentecost, which we still sing at
Vespers on that day. "Come, peoples of all nations, and let us worship God in three
persons: the Son in the Father, with the Holy Spirit. For the Father, before time began,
begot the Son, co-eternal and co-reigning with Him; and the Holy Spirit was in the
Father, and glorified with the Son; one power, one essence, one God, whom we all
worship as we sing: Holy God, who created all things through the Son, with the co-
operation of the Holy Spirit! Holy Mighty, through whom we have come to know the
Father, and through whom the Holy Spirit came into the world! Holy Immortal, the
Comforting Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and rests in the Son! Holy Trinity, glory
to you!"

What does it mean for us to sing this ancient hymn and call God thrice-holy? First, it
signifies that the God whom we worship is completely, totally and utterly transcendent.
The one, true and living God stands outside the created universe of time and space as we
know it. Because of this we can never fully grasp the divine Reality and must approach
God in worship with a sense of reverence and awe. God is, as the Liturgy will later say in
one of its prayers, ineffable, beyond comprehension, invisible, beyond understanding,
existing forever and always the same, You and Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy
Spirit. In fact, St. John Chrysostom wrote a treatise entitled On the Incomprehensibility
of God in which some of these very phrases are used to describe God. For this reason, the
one God, our Father, is not and should never be pictured as an old, white-bearded man
sitting on a throne. Whenever this occurs in art, even in so-called Christian art and even
in the iconography found in some of our churches it is completely idolatrous and
wrong. Yet, this utterly transcendent and holy God, the Creator of the universe whom we
cannot even begin to comprehend, has chosen to reveal Himself to us as complete and
total Love, Truth, Light and Life in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ in whom
the fullness of the Deity dwelt in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Second, because the
Trisagion is based on the hymn of the angels, St Nicholas Cabasilas (c.1319-c.1391)
comments that in singing the Trisagion during the Liturgy human beings and angels
form one Church and one choir. During the celebration of the Liturgy, heaven and earth
intersect and our worship here becomes an icon of the worship going on around the
throne of God in heaven (Revelation 4:1-10). Third, to call God thrice-holy implies His
absolute purity. For us as human beings, this carries moral connotations, for Your eyes
are too pure to look upon evil and You cannot tolerate wrong (Habakkuk 1:13). The
holiness of God demands repentance: the cleansing and purification of ones mind and
heart, and the consecration of ones life in love to Him. In the Old Testament, God said to
the people of Israel through Moses, Be holy because I, the Lord Your God, am holy
(Leviticus 19:2) prior to issuing the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself
(19:18). And in the Sermon on the Mount, after the Lord Jesus tells us to love even our
enemies, He concludes by issuing, in essence, the same challenge: Be perfect, therefore,
as your Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). This call by God for us to share in
and reflect His holiness is the fundamental axiom of the Christian life. As Mother Teresa
of Calcutta (1910-1997) has said, As Christians, we have been created for great things.
We have been created to be holy since we have been created in the image of God.
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Priest: Again, fervently.

(The priest, turning towards the Prothesis, says in a low voice) Blessed is He who
comes in the name of the Lord (Psalm 118:26). Blessed are You, seated on the
throne of glory in Your kingdom, seated upon the Cherubim (Daniel 3:54-55;
Psalm 98:1) always now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen (Ephesians
3:21).

People: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

THE SCRIPTURE READINGS

THE EPISTLE

*Priest: Let us listen attentively. (cf. Nehemiah 8:3)

(The Reader reads the appointed verses from the Book of Psalms.)

*Priest: Wisdom.

Reader: The reading is from (the name of the book of the New Testament from which the
apostolic reading is taken).

*Priest: Let us listen attentively. (cf. Nehemiah 8:3)

(The Reader reads from the designated apostolic letter or the Acts of the Apostles.)

Priest: Peace be with you (John 20:26; 1 Peter 5:14; 3 John 15).

People: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia (Psalm 150:6).
________________________________________________________________________

Commentary The Letters of the New Testament read during the Liturgy
The word "epistle" simply means "letter." Such Scripture readings are also sometimes
called "the apostolic reading." Based on a lectionary - an order of readings - that was
established in the 7
th
century, during the course of the year the Church reads the writings
of the Apostles in the order in which they are found in the New Testament. We start at
Pascha with the Acts of the Apostles written by St. Luke the Evangelist as a companion
volume to his Gospel. It is the earliest history of the Church and tells the story of how the
Good News of the Resurrection of Christ traveled from Jerusalem to Rome itself, the
center of the Empire, and focuses primarily on the missionary preaching and teaching of
the Apostles Peter and Paul. After Pentecost we read from the Letters of St. Paul, more or
less in the order of their length, beginning with his Letter to the Romans, and then the
Letters of the other Apostles: St. James, St. Peter, St. John and St. Jude. This takes us to
the beginning of Lent and during Lent we read the Letter to the Hebrews. In the liturgical
tradition of the Orthodox Church, only the Book of Revelation is never read during the
Divine Liturgy. In the reading of these letters we are reminded of the Apostles witness to
Christ and are called to imitate them in their willingness to offer themselves wholly to the
proclamation of the Gospel. Therefore I urge you, be imitators of me, the Apostle Paul
wrote (1 Corinthians 4:13).
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Priest (in a low voice): Shine within our hearts, loving Master, the pure light of Your
divine knowledge and open the eyes of our minds (cf. Ephesians 1:18) that we may
comprehend the message of Your Gospel. Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed
commandments, so that having conquered our sinful desires, we may pursue a spiritual
life, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to You (cf. 1 John 3:22). For
You, O Christ our God, are the light of our souls and bodies, and to You we offer up
glory, together with Your Father who is without beginning and Your all-holy, good, and
life-creating Spirit (Psalm 143:10; John 6:63), now and forever and to the ages of ages.
Amen. (Ephesians 3:21)

THE HOLY GOSPEL

Priest: Wisdom! Arise! Let us hear the Holy Gospel. Peace be with all (John 20:26; 1
Peter 5:14; 3 John 15).

People: And with your spirit (cf. Philippians 4:23; 2 Timothy 4:22).

*Priest: The reading is from the holy Gospel according to (Name). Let us be attentive!

People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You (cf. Psalm 29:1).

(*The Priest reads the designated reading for the day from one of the four Gospels)

People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You (cf. Psalm 29:1).
_______________________________________________________________________

Commentary - the Gospel book, the Gospel and the four Gospels

Adorned out of reverence and largely kept on the altar, it contains exclusively the four
Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It is a sacramental embodiment of Christ and
in the Liturgy is kissed and treated like an icon of Christ, an icon written in words not
paint. Traditionally, the bringing out of the Gospels is said by St. Nicholas Cabasilas, a
14th century mystic and saint, to represent the manifestation of Christ to the multitudes.
The entrance hymn sung by the clergy, taken from Psalm 95:6, professes what our
response ought to be to the Lord Jesus: come let us worship and bow down before
Christ. The centrality of the Gospels in the Liturgy of the Word and their placement on
the altar impresses upon us that Christ is the center of the Church and that Christ ought to
be the center of our lives. It is through the Gospels that we know who Christ is. As St.
Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783) wrote: "Whenever you read the Gospel, Christ Himself
is speaking to you. And while you read, you are praying and talking to Him."

At every Liturgy we read from one of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John, all of which convey the life, teachings, crucifixion and the resurrection from the
dead of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. But, in addition, the Scriptures often speak of
the Gospel and we sometimes forget that the Gospel itself is a message and not merely a
collection of books: in fact, it is the most important message in history. The word Gospel
derives from the Old English God-spel, literally meaning glad tidings or, in more
modern English, good news. It is a word-for-word translation of the Greek word
evangelion that is used in the New Testament and the Liturgy. In ancient times an
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evangelion was often a proclamation of victory in battle: a herald proclaimed the good
news that the war was over, the emperor was victorious, the enemy had been defeated
and the city and its people had been saved from calamity and certain destruction. It is a
proclamation to be celebrated! One thinks of the relief and joy found on the faces of the
men and women in Times Square in old photographs, celebrating the end of World War
II. For us, the Good News is that in Jesus Christ the Word of God made flesh (John
1:14) and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14), the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob has become human and been victorious over sin, evil and death; having
died to sin once for all (Romans 6:10) and rising from the dead He has delivered us
from our mortality. Death, for us, has now become a Passover to what the Gospel of John
calls eternal life (John 3:16).
_____________________________________________________________________

The Gospel of Mark, according to modern scholars, was the first written gospel, around
AD 65 or 70. It was used in composing the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. Compared to
the two later Gospels, Marks is much shorter, more direct and informal and written in
the simple Greek used throughout the Mediterranean world of his time. Traditionally, the
writing of Marks Gospel has been associated with the witness of the apostle Peter and
rooted in Marks relationship with him. At the closing of the First Letter of Peter the
apostle speaks of my son Mark much as the apostle Paul wrote of Timothy in his
letters. St. Irenaeus of Lyons, around 185AD, wrote that after the deaths of Peter and
Paul, Mark the disciple and interpreter of Peter handed down to us in writing those
things that Peter had proclaimed.
The Gospel of Luke, is an orderly account (Luke 1:3) written by Luke, a second
generation Christian who knows eye-witnesses and traditions handed on to him
concerning the events of Jesus life. He is traditionally regarded as a physician and
follower of St. Paul. He not only gives us a Gospel surrounding the events of Christs life
but also the first story of the early Church in a companion volume, the Book of the Acts
of the Apostles which is read each year during the 50 days between Pascha and Pentecost.
The Gospel of Matthew is traditionally linked with the apostle Matthew who was a tax
collector. Some church Fathers also believed that his Gospel was originally written in
Aramaic, the language of Jesus, though modern scholars believe the version we have
today was originally written in Greek. Of the 660 verses in Marks Gospel, 600 are to be
found in Matthews Gospel and 350 in Lukes Gospel and only 60 in neither. Because of
the similarities between these three gospels, scholars have named them the Synoptic
Gospels, from the Greek syn- together + opsis seeing.
The Gospel of John, however, is written in a different style and considered to be the
most theologically oriented of the four Gospels. Tradition relates that St. John knew the
other Gospels and decided to write a different kind of text. Although we contain the four
Gospels in a single book, they all derive from different Christian communities of the
early Church. Over time, they became recognized as the most authoritative books
concerning the life of Christ and his message. While there were many other gospels and
writings concerning Jesus that circulated in the ancient world, particularly in Gnostic and
other heretical circles, most were not found to be suitable for public reading in Church
during worship. The four Gospels that today constitute the heart of the New Testament
are the oldest and most trustworthy books concerning Christ that we possess.

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THE HOMILY

(Following the readings, it is customary for the priest to proclaim the Gospel.)

Commentary The Homily or Sermon

The preaching of the Gospel and the Eucharist are inseparably wedded together in the
Divine Liturgy. The sermon is not optional; it is an essential part of the Liturgy. As we
would never think of Communion being omitted from the Liturgy, so the preaching of the
Word of God should never be omitted.

The whole life and ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is best described by
the word evangelion or Good News! Christianity is not a search for God. It is not our
groping and stumbling alone in darkness, trying to find the ladder to heaven. It is God
Himself coming in the Person of His Son that He may lift us out of our blindness and
helplessness into His light. The Gospel of Christ is primarily an announcement of what
God has done and does in the Person of Jesus. When the apostles preached, they
merely made a proclamation, an announcement of what God had done in Christ. God
was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19) and making Him to
be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2
Corinthians 5:21). But even more than this: Christ is risen! By His death He conquered
death. Having ascended into heaven, He sent the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the earliest
Church in Jerusalem on Pentecost, bringing them new life and power, changing their
lives completely, filling them with that Life which is truly life. This is the message! This
was, and is, the Gospel! The entire emphasis is on the good news of what God has done
in Christ to overcome humanitys bad news of sin and death.

There is a wonderful story about the Greek word evangelistes, or evangelist, one who
delivers the good news. Apparently, the word was first used in 490 BC following the
battle of Marathon when the Persians had moved their great army against Athens. The
outnumbered Athenians met them 25 miles outside of Athens, fought a bitter battle and
finally won the victory. The people of Athens were locked in their city, frightened and
trembling, not knowing the outcome of that crucial battle. A messenger, Pheidippedes by
name, was sent to bring the good news to Athens. Pheidippides ran the entire 25 miles
and when he arrived, his message was this: Hairete! Nenikamen! Rejoice! We have
conquered!

This is the message of the Gospel of Christ: Rejoice! Weve won! This is why every
priest and indeed, every Christian cannot help but be an evangelist, spreading
everywhere the good news of the faith. Its as if I was on my deathbed dying of cancer
and someone suddenly came to me announcing that the cure had just been found. This is
why the early Christians proclaimed the Resurrection of Jesus with such joy and
unrestrained enthusiasm. Christ is risen and our sins are forgiven! Christ is risen and
death is conquered! Christ is risen to fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit! Christ is
risen and with Him we too will rise to a life that is truly life! We Christians, as carriers of
Gods good news, are sustained by unending hope. Suffering and defeat are known, but
never accepted as final. Energized by the Holy Spirit who makes all things new, we light
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candles rather than curse the darkness. This is why every Christian preacher is best
described as an evangelist a bearer of the good news of victory. We are called to preach
the good news of Gods forgiveness, the good news about the death of death in Christs
Resurrection, the good news of Gods power given to us in our weakness, the good news
about our great Liberator and Deliverer, the Lord Jesus.

Our preaching must be like a candle burning brightly on a dark night or a drink of cool,
fresh water given to one dying of thirst in the terrible heat of the desert. Never forget
what the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, his young protg: Do the work of an
evangelist! (2 Timothy 4:5).
- Father Anthony Coniaris
from his book, Preaching the Word of God

A sermon which touches the audience provides a beginning for healing. Excellence in
preaching should not be measured by the length of the sermon but by the interest of the
congregation.

All who have been ordained for the ministry of the Word have received from God the
command never to abandon our duty and never to be silent whether anyone listens to us
or not. Thus I am determined for as long as I live and as long as God pleases to leave
me in this life to fulfill this duty and carry out this command, whether anyone pays
attention or not.
- St. John Chrysostom (347-407AD)

We are really preaching to others if we ourselves do what we say; if we are pierced with
God's love; if, since we cannot avoid sin, our tears wash away the stains on our life that
come with each new day. We must ask ourselves whether anyone has ever discovered
God through our words, repented after our reproof, abandoned destructive habits because
we spoke out, or turned from greed or pride. How many lives will we bring in our arms to
God from the harvest of our preaching? Listen to what the Lord said after sending out his
preachers: "The harvest is indeed great, but the laborers are few." I say this sadly: though
many crave the Good News, there are none to preach it. There are priests in plenty around
us, but seldom do we find a laborer for God's harvest. We accept the role but not the
work.
- St. Gregory the Great (540-604AD)

Every sermon, every lesson, has meaning and value only when it is the result of personal
spiritual experience and knowledge. Every sermon pronounced only with our lips is dead
and false and those who listen always unmistakably feel it.
- Father Alexander Elchaninov (1881-1934AD)

A sermon which is not confirmed by the priest's life is like a picture of bread instead of
real bread.
- Archbishop John Shahovskoy (1902-1989)

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THE PRAYER FOR THE FAITHFUL

Priest (in a low voice): Again, we bow before You and pray to You, O good and
loving God. Hear our supplication: cleanse our souls and bodies from every
defilement of flesh and spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1), and grant that we may stand before
Your holy altar (cf. Exodus 29:37) without blame or condemnation. Grant also, O
God, progress in life, faith, and spiritual discernment to the faithful who pray with us,
so that they may always worship You with reverence and love, partake of Your holy
Mysteries without blame or condemnation (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:27-32), and become
worthy of Your heavenly kingdom (2 Thessalonians 1:5).

Priest: And grant that always guarded by Your power we may give glory to You, the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages (Ephesians 3:21).

Commentary The Prayer for the Faithful

With this prayer, the second part of the Divine Liturgy begins: the Liturgy of the Faithful. In
the ancient liturgical tradition of the Church the catechumens those preparing to become
Christians would at this time be dismissed, leave the Church building and often go to an
adjacent building for further instruction. Only those who had proclaimed their faith in Christ,
received instruction and been baptized as Christians were allowed to remain and participate
in the Eucharist. Although prayers for the dismissal of the catechumens are no longer done in
most Orthodox Churches today, in some places these prayers are being restored to the
Liturgy during Great Lent for those who wish to enter the life of the Church through Baptism
and/or Chrismation on Pascha. The prayers for the catechumens, Father Schmemann has
written, are above all a liturgical expression of a fundamental calling of the Church
precisely the Church as mission. A Church without catechumens, without a sense of
mission, is not fully the Church commissioned by Christ to proclaim the Gospel to all people
(Matthew 28:19-20).

What does it mean to be faithful? Metropolitan Kallistos Ware has written: "In the Creed
we do not say, "I believe that there is a God." We say, "I believe in one God." Between belief
that and belief in, there is a crucial distinction. It is possible for me to believe that someone
or something exists, and yet for this belief to have no practical effect on my life. I can open a
telephone directory and scan the names recorded on its pages; and, as I read, I am prepared to
believe that some (or even most) of these people exist. But I know none of them personally
and so my belief that they exist makes no particular difference to me. When, on the other
hand, I say to a much beloved friend, "I believe in you," I am doing far more than expressing
a belief that this person exists. "I believe in you" means: I turn to you, I rely upon you, I put
my full trust in you and I hope in you. Faith is not merely the supposition that something
might be true, but the assurance that Someone is there. Faith, then, is a personal relationship
with God; a relationship as yet incomplete and faltering, yet none the less real. Faith is to
know God not as an abstract principle, but as a Person. To know a person is far more than to
know certain facts about that person; there can be no true awareness of other persons without
mutual love. Here, then, are the two least misleading ways of speaking about the God who
surpasses our understanding: He is personal and He is love. And these are basically two ways
of saying the same thing. Our way of entry into the mystery of God is through personal love.
Our God is beyond all we can think or express, yet closer to us than our own heart."
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THE GREAT ENTRANCE

People: We who mystically represent the Cherubim (Ezekiel 10:2; Hebrews 9:5) sing the
thrice holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity. Let us lay aside all the cares of this life that
we may receive the King of all.

(While the Cherubic Hymn is being sung, the Priest prays in a low voice) No one bound
by worldly desires and pleasures (Titus 3:3) is worthy to approach, draw near or minister
to You, the King of glory (Psalm 24:7-8). To serve You is great and awesome even for
the powers of heaven (Daniel 4:35). But because of Your ineffable and immeasurable
love for us, You became man without alteration or change. You have served as our High
Priest (Hebrews 4:14), and as Lord of all (Acts 10:36), have entrusted to us the
celebration of this liturgical sacrifice without the shedding of blood. For You alone, Lord
our God, rule over all things in heaven and on earth (1 Chronicles 29:11). You are seated
on the throne of the Cherubim (Psalm 98:1), the Lord of the Seraphim (Isaiah 6:2) and
the King of Israel (Matthew27:42). You alone are holy and dwell among your saints.
You alone are good and ready to hear. Therefore, I implore you, look upon me, Your
sinful and unworthy servant (Luke 17:10), and cleanse my soul and heart from an evil
conscience (cf. Hebrews 10:22). Enable me by the power of Your Holy Spirit (Romans
15:15) so that, vested with the grace of the priesthood, I may stand before Your holy
table (cf. Exodus 25:23-30; 37:10-16) and celebrate the mystery of Your holy and pure
Body and Your precious Blood. To you I come with bowed head and beg you: do not
turn Your face away from me (Psalm 142:7) nor reject me from among Your children
(Wisdom 9:4), but make me, Your sinful and unworthy servant (Luke 17:10), worthy to
offer to You these gifts. For You, Christ our God, are the Offerer and the Offered, the
One who receives and is distributed, and to You we give glory (Psalm 96:8), together
with Your Father who is without beginning and Your all-holy, good and life-creating
Spirit (John 6:63), now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen (Ephesians 3:21).

(The Priest censes the altar area and sanctuary, reciting in a low voice the Cherubic
Hymn, Having Beheld Christs Resurrection (on Sundays), and the 50
th
Psalm.
Then the Great Entrance takes place.)

*Priest: May the Lord our God remember all of you in His kingdom (cf. Luke 23:42),
always, now and forever and to the ages of ages (Ephesians 3:21).


(The priest enters the sanctuary , while the people sing the end of the Cherubic Hymn.)

People: . . . invisibly escorted by the angelic hosts (cf. Psalm 148:2). Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! (Psalm 150:6)

(The priest places the holy gifts on the holy Table, covering them and censing them.)

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1
"Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
2
It is to be square, a cubit long and
a cubit wide, and two cubits highits horns of one piece with it.
3
Overlay the top and all
the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
4
Make two
gold rings for the altar below the moldingtwo on opposite sidesto hold the poles
used to carry it.
5
Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6
Put the
altar in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimonybefore the atonement
cover that is over the Testimonywhere I will meet with you.

7
"Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the
lamps.
8
He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will
burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.

34
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Take fragrant spicesgum resin, onycha and
galbanumand pure frankincense, all in equal amounts,
35
and make a fragrant blend of
incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.
36
Grind some of it
to powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet
with you. It shall be most holy to you.
37
Do not make any incense with this formula for
yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord.
6
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne,
encircled by the four living creatures and the elders (presbyters).
7
He came and took the
scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
8
And when he had taken it, the
four living creatures and the twenty-four elders (presbyters) fell down before the Lamb.
Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the
prayers of the saints.

3
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given
much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the
throne.
4
The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before
God from the angel's hand.

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THE PETITIONS

*Priest: Let us complete our prayer to the Lord.


*Priest: For the precious gifts here presented, let us pray to the Lord (cf. Acts 8:24).


*Priest: For this holy house (Psalm 93:5) and for those who enter it with faith, reverence,
and the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1), let us pray to the Lord (cf. Acts 8:24).


*Priest: For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to




*Priest: For a perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless day, let us ask the Lord (1John 5:14-15)

People: Grant this, O Lord.

*Priest: For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies
(cf. Exodus 23:20; Psalm 91:11), let us ask the Lord (cf. I John 5:14-15).

Commentary Angels in the Bible and the Liturgy
For an angel of peaceOne of the things we pray for at every Liturgy is for an angel to
guard us and guide us. Each of us has been given a guardian angel. It is about our
guardian angels that the Lord Jesus spoke of when He admonished His disciples not to
look down on children, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of
my Father in heaven (Matthew 18:10-11). And during Baptism, the celebrating priest
prays specifically that an angel of light be assigned to the child being baptized. Mother
Alexandra (1909-1991), known in the world as Princess Ileana of Romania, established
the Convent of the Transfiguration in Pennsylvania in 1968. As a small child, she was
given the privilege of seeing her guardian angel the angel that would guide and guard
her throughout her long and often difficult life. She recounted the event in her little book,
The Holy Angels. It was early morning, when I was seven years old, that I saw the
angels. I am as sure of it now as I was then. I was not dreaming, nor seeing things I
just know they were there, plainly, clearly, distinctly. I was neither astonished nor afraid.
I was not even awed I was only terribly pleased. Our night nursery was lit by the dawn
and I saw a group of angels standing, as if chatting, around my brothers bed. I was aware
of this, although I could not hear their voices. They had no wings. At the foot of my
brother Mirceas bed stood one heavenly being, a little aside from the others taller he
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was, and extraordinarily beautiful, with great white wings. In his right hand he carried a
lighted taper; he did not seem to belong to the group of angels gathered around the bed.
He clearly stood apart and on watch. I knew him to be the guardian angel. I then became
aware that at the foot of my own bed stood a similar celestial creature. He was tall and his
robe was dark blue with wide, loose sleeves. His beauty was such as I cannot describe
because it was comparable to nothing human. His wings swept high and out behind him.
One hand was lifted to his breast, while in the other he carried a lighted taper. Love,
kindness, understanding, and assurance flowed from him. Delighted, I crawled from
under the bedcovers and, kneeling up against the end of the bed, I stretched out my hand
with the ardent wish to touch my smiling guardian, but he took a step back, put out a
warning hand, and gently shook his head. I was so close to him I could have reached him
easily. Oh, please dont go, I cried; at which words all the other angels looked toward
me and then they vanished. I was but a child when I saw my guardian angel. As time
passed I still sporadically remembered and acknowledged his presence, but mostly, I
ignored him
The Liturgy speaks over and over again about the reality of angels and archangels, the
cherubim and the seraphim. The Scriptures witness to the reality of angels from
beginning to end, from Genesis to the Book of Revelation. What are angels? The word
angel is a Greek word that means messenger. Angels are purely spiritual beings that
have often served as Gods messengers at critical times in human history. In the Old
Testament, the Archangel Michael appears to the prophet Daniel (10:13) and is
mentioned again in Jude 9 and the Book of Revelation (12:7). In the New Testament, the
Archangel Gabriel appears to both Zechariah to announce the birth of his son, John the
Baptist (Luke 1:10-20); and to Mary the Theotokos to announce the birth of her son, our
Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-37). An angel comforts the Lord Jesus in the Garden of
Gethsemane shortly before His crucifixion (Luke 22:43); and angels announce His
resurrection to the women who come to His tomb and find it empty (Luke 24:4-7). At the
Second Coming, the Gospel of Matthew (25:31) tells us that the Lord will be escorted by
all the angels. The Scriptures mention many different kinds or ranks of angels. The
cherubim and the seraphim are mentioned throughout the Old Testament and are
particularly associated with the Temple in Jerusalem and the Ark of the Covenant by the
prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel. In fact, the angelic hymn that Isaiah (6:5) heard sung by the
seraphim in the Temple, Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth: Heaven and earth are
full of Your glory is still sung at every celebration of the Liturgy to this day. In the New
Testament, the Apostle Paul mentions other types of angels such as thrones, powers and
principalities (Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 1:21). The role of angels has been significant
in the history of our salvation as well as in our praise and worship of the living God
during the Liturgy. We believe that if we listen carefully to the message of the angels, we
can often hear the voice of God in our lives.
________________________________________________________________________

Commentary The Sign of the Cross

The Sign of the Cross is one of Christianitys most ancient customs. It is a sign of
blessing and commitment to the Crucified Lord. Tertullian (c. 160-240), an ancient
Christian writer in North Africa first mentions the Sign of the Cross: We Christians wear
out our foreheads with the Sign of the Cross." A simple custom, it is a statement of
Christian faith which incorporates the entire body. Like many ancient customs, it has
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been performed in a diversity of ways over the centuries. Current Orthodox Christian
practice, used by all since the 17
th
century, involves combining the thumb, pointer and
middle finger while placing the ring finger and the pinky against the palm. The unity of
the three fingers represents the unity of the undivided Trinity: Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, three persons but one God. The two fingers pressed against the palm represent the
two natures of Christ: human and divine. It indicates our belief in Jesus, who is fully God
and fully human. Our motion, of course, recalls the cross: forehead, stomach, right
shoulder and left shoulder, but also the God who is Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As one moves through the sign, one recites, at the forehead, In the name of the Father;
at the navel, and of the Son; and across the shoulders, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
It is as if to say I love you Lord with all of my mind (forehead), with all my soul (navel),
with all my strength (right shoulder) and with all my heart (left shoulder). Done at
various times as a sign of reverence, it is traditionally made before kissing an icon or the
Gospel book; and during the Liturgy, whenever the Holy Trinity or the Virgin Mary is
mentioned; before and after the Gospel is read; when lighting candles and during the
creed. In short, few actions are so simple and yet symbolize so much of our Christian life.

Commentary Praise God! Alleluia!

One of several ancient Hebrew words found in the Liturgy, Alleluia literally means
Praise God and in the Scriptures is found primarily in the Old Testament Book of
Psalms, where it is used 24 times in Psalms 104, 111-117 and 145-150. It is also found
four times in chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation where it is the word of praise and
worship used by all creation for the wedding of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7). A joyful,
often spontaneous word of thanksgiving and praise, it is sung throughout the Liturgy:
with verses from the Psalms after the Epistle reading; just before the Gospel is read; at
the end of the Cherubic Hymn during the Great Entrance; and as part of the normal
Sunday Communion hymn taken from Psalm 148:1. In our Church alleluia is also sung
during Lent and Holy Week as well as at funerals and memorial services.

Commentary Amen!

The word "Amen" is another ancient Hebrew word used throughout the Liturgy. It is
always an affirmation of the certainty and truth of what has just been said and may be
variously understood to mean Truly, So say we all, So be it, or Let it be so. Most
simply, it means "Yes!" Amen is our "Yes" to God. The Hebrew root means "to be firm,
confirmed, to be reliable, have faith, to believe." We find the word amen used by the
apostle Paul to end two of his letters (Romans 15:33; Galatians 6:18); and it is the very
last word of the Bible, closing it like a seal: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you all. Amen!" (Revelation 22:21). Thus, when we say amen, we are expressing our
assent and confirming that which is said in the Scriptures and the Liturgy as being true
and the foundation on which we build our lives. Father Lev Gillet writes that "in saying
Amen! our whole life and being are engaged in an act of faith and ardent trust." To say
this word is to make a commitment to Christ.
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*Priest: For forgiveness and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask the Lord.


*Priest: For all that is good and beneficial to our souls, and for peace in the world, let us
ask the Lord (cf. I John 5:14-15).


*Priest: For the completion of our lives in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.


*Priest: For a Christian end to our lives, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a
good account before the awesome judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10), let us ask
the Lord (cf. I John 5:14-15).


ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.


Commentary Remembering Death

For a Christian end to our livesis a petition prayed at every Liturgy. The Liturgy
confronts us with the fact that death is something that awaits all of us. Yet, living in a
secular culture we often wish to avoid thinking about it. As Orthodox Christians, we
understand earthly death to be an encounter with the Risen Christ and the door to what
the Lord Jesus calls eternal life (John 3:16). For believers, death is not the end but a
new beginning. Because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead, Christians
as St. Paul wrote know that to die is gain (Philippians 1:22) and do not grieve as
others do who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Indeed, here we have no lasting
city but are looking for the city that is to come (Hebrews 13:14). One of the most
striking things about Christians in the ancient Roman world that their non-Christian
neighbors were startled by and frequently commented upon was the fact that they didnt
seem to be afraid to die. Christians who have died and risen with Christ in the waters of
baptism (Romans 6:3-5) are to live their lives here and now in the light of eternity and
that vantage point enables a person to see life from a completely new and different
perspective, coloring how every relationship, task and circumstance will be dealt with.
Priorities change. What in monastic writers is called the remembrance of death is a
spiritual discipline that is meant to give our lives focus and clarity of purpose.
Metropolitan Anthony Bloom (1914-2003) has written about the Christian attitude
towards death: Death is the touchstone of our attitude to life. People who are afraid of
death are afraid of life. It is impossible not to be afraid of life with all its complexity and

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dangers if one is afraid of death. This means that to solve the problem of death is not a
luxury. If we are afraid of death we will never be prepared to take ultimate risks; we will
spend our life in a cowardly, careful and timid manner. It is only if we can face death,
make sense of it, and determine its place and our place in regard to it that we will be able
to live in a fearless way and to the fullness of our ability. Too often we wait until the end
of our life to face death, whereas we would have lived quite differently if only we had
faced death at the outset. Life in this world is temporary. What are you doing in your life
that honors God? What will be your legacy as a believer?

Commentary Calling the Virgin Mary the Theotokos or Mother of God

Why do we remember the Virgin Mary? The Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Messiah,
our Savior and King, the Mother of the Lord Jesus, the Theotokos or Mother of God. The
theological significance of this title lies in the fact that in the womb of this teen-aged
Jewish girl the Word, who was with God and was God, through whom all things were
created, became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-3, 14). That title for the Virgin
Mary is found in ancient Christian writings dating back to the second and third centuries
and is used for the first time in surviving documents by an early Christian scholar named
Origen (185-254AD). It was officially proclaimed as a title to be used by Christians to
describe the Virgin Mary at the Third Ecumenical Council held in the city of Ephesus in
431AD.

Commentary Remembering the Saints

Throughout the Liturgy we are asked to remember all the saints beginning with the
Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary and her yes to Gods plan for her life (Luke 1:38);
and then, like all of them, to commit our whole life to Christ our God. Who are the
saints that we are asked to remember in these petitions? The saints are those men and
women who, throughout the centuries and in every culture, have loved God and borne
witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, and remained
faithful to Him to the end, often at the cost of their own lives. They are people who have
been transformed by their faith and truly are the "real deal" as Christians. They are men
and women from every generation who have been canonized, i.e. set up as models of
what it means to truly follow Christ and be faithful to Him, seeking and striving for His
kingdom as their first priority in life (Matthew 6:33). When we speak of Sts. Peter and
Paul and the apostles, Sts. Katherine, Irene and Barbara the martyrs, Sts. Basil, John
Chrysostom and Nektarios the bishops, we are speaking of people who have been
canonized by the Church in an official manner to serve as models of faithfulness and
holiness for us to emulate. Canonization does not "make" anybody a saint. Canonization
recognizes that someone already was, in his/her own lifetime, a saint.

The word canonization means that a Christian has been found worthy to have his/her
name placed in the canon or official list of the saints of the Church. This canon is read
during the various liturgical services of the Church, particularly Orthros or Matins. Every
day of the year is dedicated to a number of saints whose names are remembered by the
People of God. When a Christian's name has been included in the canon of saints, it is a

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sign that the Church encourages the faithful to ask that saint for his/her prayers before
God. Liturgical services may be specially composed in the saint's honor and celebrated
by the Church. For the first thousand years of the history of the Church saints were
recognized without any formal rite of canonization. Local congregations of the faithful
simply began to remember certain well-known Christians in their liturgical gatherings, to
ask them for help in prayer, to visit their relics, which frequently remained vehicles of the
Holy Spirit, curing the sick in soul and body, as they had during earthly life. In the 10th
century, in the west, the then-Orthodox Church of Rome began to insist that saints be
formally and officially "registered" as such with the papal authorities. The first recorded
canonization of this type was that of St. Ulrich of Augsburg, canonized in 993AD by
Pope John XV. For the next 600 years -- during which time the Roman Catholic Church
split off from the Orthodox community -- the west developed a very precise (and some
would say even legalistic) method of determining who were to be canonized as saints.
The Orthodox Church never developed any comparable methods for canonizing saints.
As in the early Church, the situation has remained very much determined by local
practices and local traditions. Holy men and women continue to be recognized as such
during their own lifetimes; they continue to be venerated and honored after their death;
and Christian people continue to ask for their prayers and to visit their shrines.

It is the Holy Spirit who is the source of all holiness, all sanctity, in the life of the Church.
Saints may be found in every country and every culture, ranging from Greece, Turkey
and Russia to Serbia, Romania and America; from Palestine, Libya and Egypt to France,
Ireland and Italy. Saints come from all walks of life: men and women, husbands and
wives, kings and queens, soldiers, merchants, slaves, students, peasants and aristocrats,
bishops and priests, monks and nuns. All were ordinary people who chose to live their
lives in complete dedication to God, allowing Him to renew and transform them from the
inside out. The saints, no matter what country they were from, language they spoke or
station in life, never betrayed their innermost beliefs about Christ and strove to live their
lives in complete honesty and integrity, no matter the cost. They lived with courage and
determination, love and humility, compassion, grace and joy. The saints reveal human
potential at its finest and serve as role-models for us to follow today. To know and
understand the saints of the Church is to deepen our relationship with their Master and
ours, our Lord Jesus Christ. However and this is important! the saints are not simply
those men and women whose icons adorn the walls and windows of our Churches. St.
Paul writes that we are "all called to be saints" (Romans 1:7). And the text of the Divine
Liturgy refers to us, the congregation gathered for worship, as saints. Shortly before the
body and blood of Christ are offered in communion, one of the things that the priest sings
in the Liturgy is: Let us be attentive! The holy gifts are for the holy people of God.
This is a paraphrase of a much more compact sentence in the original Greek:
Proskomen! Ta ayia tois ayiois which may be more literally translated as Let us be
attentive! The holy (the Eucharistic Bread and Wine that are now the consecrated Body
and Blood of Christ) for the saints. In the original Greek of the Liturgy, the word that is
translated as both saint and holy is the same word: ayios. In other words, every Christian
is called to be a saint, to be holy as God is holy, to be perfect as our Father in heaven is
perfect (Romans 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Peter 1:15; Matthew 5:48). To become ever
more Christ-like, to be holy, to be a saint: this is Gods will and plan for our life!

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THE PRAYER OF THE PROSKOMEDE

Priest (in a low voice): Lord, God Almighty, You alone are holy (Revelation
15:3-4). You accept a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15) from those who call
upon You with their whole heart (Psalm 9:1). Receive also the prayer of us
sinners and let it reach Your holy altar (cf. Exodus 29:37). Enable us to bring
before You gifts and spiritual sacrifices (Hebrews 5:1) for our sins and for the
transgressions of the people (Hebrews 9:7). Make us worthy to find grace in
Your presence so that our sacrifice may be pleasing to You (1 Peter 2:5) and that
Your good and gracious Spirit may overshadow us, the gifts here presented, and
all Your people.

Priest: Through the mercies of Your only begotten (John 1:18) Son with whom You are
blessed, together with Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit (Psalm 143:10; John
6:63), now and forever and to the ages of ages (Ephesians 3:21).


Priest: Peace be with all (John 20:26; 1 Peter 5:14; 3 John 15).

People: And with your spirit (cf. Philippians 4:23; 2 Timothy 4:22)

THE KISS OF PEACE

*Priest: Let us love one another (John 13:34) that with one mind (Romans 15:6) we may
confess:
(The Priest kisses the holy Gifts saying) I love You, Lord. You are my strength.
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer (Psalm 18:1-2).

(At this time it is customary for the kiss of peace to be exchanged.)

During Christs time, the kiss was one of the preliminary courtesies to any ceremonial
meal: its omission caused our Lord to admonish Simon the Pharisee in his own house
(Luke 7:45). Moreover, the Kiss of Peace is one of the oldest liturgical customs of the
Church, as St. Paul reveals in his letters: Greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans
16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12). Like any kiss, the kiss of peace
signifies mutual love and friendship. Yet the Scriptures and the saints - like Cyril, the 4
th

century bishop of Jerusalem who discusses the exchange of the kiss of peace with the
catechumens in his Catechetical Orations - make it clear that this kiss is not simply an
ordinary kiss but a kiss of love, and a holy kiss by which we demonstrate that the
source of our love for one another is the love of God and that Christ and the Holy Spirit
are the bonds of mutual love among Christians. Historically, particularly up to the 6
th

century, the kiss of peace was exchanged at the Liturgy and a variety of other liturgical
services; yet over time the practice died out among the laity, although it has continued to
be exchanged among the clergy to the present time. Today, more and more parishes have
all members clergy and laity participating in the kiss of peace. The customary
greeting is: Christ is in our midst and the response is: He is and always will be!
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People: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (cf. Matthew 28:29), Trinity one in essence and
inseparable.

*Priest: The doors! The doors! Wisdom! Let us be attentive!

THE CREED

People: I believe in one God, the Father (Ephesians 4:6), the Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth (Psalm 121:2; Matthew 11:25), and of all things visible and
invisible.

And in one Lord, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 12:3), the only
begotten (John 1:18) Son of God (John 10:36; 1 John 5:5), begotten of the Father
before all ages. Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of
one essence with the Father (cf. John 14: 9-11), through whom all things were
made (Colossians 1:16). For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man. He
was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and He suffered and was buried. On the
third day He rose according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:4).

He ascended into heaven (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9-12) and is seated at the right hand
of the Father (Colossians 3:1). He will come again in glory (Matthew 25: 31) to
judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). His Kingdom will have no end (Luke
1:33).

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17), the Creator of Life (John
6:63), who proceeds from the Father (John 15:26), who together with the Father
and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets.

In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism (Ephesians 4:5) for the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7).

I expect the resurrection of the dead (Acts 24:15) and the life of the age to come
(Mark 8:10; Luke 18:30). Amen (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48).

Commentary The doors! Guard the doors!

Around 112AD, a persecution against Christians broke out in what was then called
Bithynia, a province of the ancient Roman Empire on the northwest coast of Asia Minor
(modern Turkey). Accused Christians men, women and even children were arrested
and interrogated by Pliny, the local Roman governor, who officially charged them to
renounce their faith, curse Christ and worship the emperor's statue or be executed.
What crime had they committed? Of what were they guilty? In Pliny's own words, taken
from his letter to the Emperor Trajan reporting on the whole matter, "the whole of their
guiltwas that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before dawn and
singing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god and binding themselves by a solemn
oath not to do anything evilnever to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to lie
nor refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so." Although their high morals were
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unquestioned by Pliny, Christians were being persecuted for gathering in the early
morning to sing hymns to Christ in other words, for gathering to celebrate the Divine
Liturgy. The exclamation to guard the doors, in ancient times, was a direction to the
doorkeepers to close the doors of the Church and guard them. Father Lawrence Farley
writes: In North America today, we can forget that the most dangerous thing the early
Christians did was to celebrate the Liturgy. Every time they did so, they risked their lives.
Roman law made it quite clear that Christianity should not exist and what defined a
Christian in the eyes of the state as well as those of the Church was participation in the
Eucharist. In those first three centuries after Christ, every Christian knew that he or she
risked prison, exile and even death by attending Liturgy. They never knew when Roman
soldiers would break in on them, gather them up and lead them away to be imprisoned
and/or executed. Worshipping the one true God under such a shadow and such pressures
left a mark on their liturgical practice, an abiding reminder of the separation of the
Church and the world: the closing of the doors. And persecutions are not a thing of the
past. Christians in Eastern Europe faced persecutions up until the latter part of the 20
th

century and Christians in the Middle East and elsewhere still live under constant threat of
arrest and martyrdom. In Russia alone, secret police archives that have been released
since the fall of Communism document the fact that, between 1918 and 1940, under
Lenin and Stalin, more than 40,000 Orthodox priests were executed.

Commentary Confessing the Creed

Do you know what you believe? Every Sunday, millions of Orthodox Christians around
the world recite the Creed. When we say the Creed, do we realize what a remarkable
thing it is that were doing? Do we realize how different this makes us from the world
around us? In a society that celebrates individuality above all else we are doing
something together as a community; in an age where the avoidance of commitment has
been elevated to a virtue, we are pledging ourselves to a very specific set of convictions
and to one another; in a culture that celebrates novelty, we are using words written long
ago; in a throwaway, consumerist world we preserve the tradition of the faith that was
once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) for nearly two millennia; in a society where
the accepted wisdom changes from minute to minute, we insist that some truths are so
critical that they do not change and must be repeated over and over again. Reciting the
Creed during the Liturgy is a counter cultural act and goes against the grain of many of
the values espoused by contemporary American culture.

The Creed, which is also called the Symbol of Faith, is a brief summary of the essentials
of the Christian faith written in the 4
th
century at the first two ecumenical councils: the
Council of Nicea in 325AD and the First Council of Constantinople in 381AD. These
councils, attended by bishops from all over the ancient Roman world, were called to
clarify the Christian teaching about God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. In the ancient
world like today many individuals and groups who claimed to be Christian - but were
not - taught things about the Lord Jesus at odds with the authentic Christian faith. One
such group, called the Arians, taught that Jesus Christ was not truly divine, not fully God;
and another group, called the Strugglers against the Spirit, taught that the Holy Spirit was
not divine and should not be worshipped. These two councils, summarizing the
experiences of the Apostles and the teaching of the Scriptures, proclaimed Jesus Christ to
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33

be both fully God and fully human, the Word of God made flesh (John 1:1-14), who was
crucified, suffered and was buried at a particular point in history under Pontius Pilate
and rose from the dead; and the Holy Spirit was also proclaimed to be fully divine, to be
the Lord who is also worshipped together with the Father and the Son as one God in
Trinity.

The Creed is a summary of how we as Christians view God, the world and ourselves. It
is, in fact, a very specific view of the world, a worldview that constitutes the lens through
which we are to see everything and the structure by which we frame our thoughts,
experiences and ideas. What we believe about the relationship between God and
humanity, sin, redemption and forgiveness, good and evil, heaven and hell, as well as our
responsibilities in this life, will affect what we do and determine how we live. For an
Orthodox Christian to simply say the Creed by rote, without understanding what these
words imply for our lives, is to stumble through life as if blindfolded, unable to see
reality as it truly is. When we say I believe we are affirming that we see things as they
really are and that we have a personal responsibility to live the vision contained in the
words of the Creed. In the end, we are what we believe.

We believe that our God is the one God revealed in the book of Genesis as the utterly
transcendent creator of everything, both visible and invisible from whales and stars to
mountains and grasshoppers, from photons and quarks to black holes and angelic hosts
and that in Jesus Christ we are able to address Him with intimacy as our Father. We
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah awaited by ancient Israel, the only-begotten
and unique Son of God, of the same essence as the Father, being fully divine; and yet, in
taking flesh from the Virgin Mary, becoming fully human. We believe that in the Word
of God becoming human and being crucified for our salvation, we have been set free
from sin; and in His rising from the dead, death has been conquered by God and the
possibility of eternal life in His kingdom that will have no end is now open to us. We
believe that the Holy Spirit is also divine and proceeds only from the Father and is to be
worshipped by us together with the Father and the Son. We believe in the Church, the
community of believers that the apostle Paul says is the Body of Christ and which the
Creed describes as one, holy, catholic and apostolic as possessing the fullness of faith
and open to all; as being rooted in the teaching of the apostles and sent out into the world
to proclaim the truth of Gods love for the human race. We believe in the necessity of the
sacrament of baptism for the forgiveness of our sins and to fully participate in the death
and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:3-11). We believe that Christ will come once again
and that the entire human race both those who are alive and those who are dead will
be under His judgment for how they have lived (Matthew 25:31-46 and Romans 2:6). We
look forward to that day when Christ will return in glory and eagerly await the
resurrection of all the dead, and the life of the age to come, that time which no eye has
seen nor ear heard, nor has the human mind even conceived, what God has prepared for
those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

If we live with this faith as the prism through which we view the world and our lives, we
shall become what God has called us to be: His saints, a chosen and holy people and a
royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) that offers His love and the gift of immortality to a fallen
world wrapped in evil and death.

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THE HOLY ANAPHORA or PRAYER OF OFFERING

*Priest: Let us stand well. Let us stand in awe. Let us be attentive, that we may present
the holy offering in peace.

People: Mercy and peace (Titus 1:4), a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15).

Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you (2 Corinthians 13:13).


Priest: Let us lift up our hearts (cf. Lamentations 3:41).

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord (Judith 8:25; Psalm 107:1).

Let us be attentive! It is inevitable that at times during the Liturgy, our minds will
wander. This is to be expected! This is one reason why the priest calls us back to
attention by saying, "Wisdom! Let us listen attentively!" at different points in the Liturgy:
for example, before the Epistle and Gospel readings, the recitation of the Creed and here,
just before the Prayer of Offering or Anaphora begins. We are human beings and not
robots and the level of concentration we can muster at any given time will be different at
each Liturgy we attend. However, there is a general remedy. The Liturgy is built, so to
speak, to have many levels. For those who read their Bibles, who pray at home regularly,
who take their faith seriously, the Liturgy has been found to be an unending source of
spiritual wealth. But to appreciate this takes a lot of work. One can liken it to watching
football. Someone who doesn't know the rules of the game will inevitably dislike
watching the sport. Yet the spectator who knows the rules, who has played the game, who
knows the game from the inside out, can be endlessly involved in what is going on. Thus,
the first and most important way to combat mindless thoughts during Liturgy is to put the
hard work of spiritual discipline in on the off-days, as difficult as that sounds.

A Practical Suggestion: The most saintly monk or nun has wandering thoughts during
the Liturgy. When your mind begins to wander, stop, say the Our Father and try to
follow along using the Liturgy book in the pews with the goal of understanding the
meaning of the text. If you are not able to follow the text, focus on the altar, close your
eyes and simply repeat the Jesus prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on
me, a sinner. Then pray about those people, events and things for which you are truly
thankful. Caution: Remember that your mind has many tracks. The worst possible thing
you can do is say to yourself, Dont think that. Rather, change your thoughts by doing
something else like focusing on the text of the Liturgy, saying the Our Father or the
Jesus Prayer. Don't worry: your mind will eventually follow.
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People: It is proper and right.

Priest (in a low voice): It is proper and right to sing to You, bless You, praise
You, thank You and worship You in all places of Your dominion (Psalm 102:22);
for You are God ineffable, beyond comprehension, invisible (John 1:18), beyond
understanding, existing forever and always the same; You and Your only begotten
Son (John 3:16; Hebrews 11:17; 1 John 4:9) and Your Holy Spirit. You brought
us into being out of nothing (cf. 2 Maccabees 7:28), and when we fell, You raised
us up again. You did not cease doing everything until You led us to heaven and
granted us Your kingdom to come. For all these things we thank You and Your
only begotten Son (John 3:16; Hebrews 11:17; 1 John 4:9) and Your Holy Spirit;
for all things that we know and do not know, for blessings seen and unseen that
have been bestowed upon us. We also thank You for this Liturgy which You are
pleased to accept from our hands, even though You are surrounded by thousands
of Archangels and tens of thousands of Angels, by the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:2)
and seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, soaring with their wings (Isaiah 6:2),

Priest: Singing the victory hymn, proclaiming, crying out, and saying:

People: Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with Your glory
(Isaiah 6:3). Hosanna in the highest (Matthew 21:9). Blessed is He who comes in the
name of the Lord (Psalm 118:26). Hosanna to God in the highest.

Commentary "It is proper and right to worship You"

What is worship? Why is it important? In English, the words worship and worth have
the same root. We worship whatever is of ultimate value to us. Orthodox Christians believe
that worship of the one, true and living God is our highest calling as human beings and gives
our lives meaning, purpose and direction. True worship, worship in the Holy Spirit, happens
when as the Lord Jesus commands in the Sermon on the Mount we put God and the
seeking of His Kingdom as our first priority, above anyone or anything else. Worship is to
love God with all of our mind, all our heart, all our strength and all our soul (Mark 12:30). For
this reason, worship should not be thought of merely as a part of life. Real worship is the
offering of the whole of our lives everything that we are and everything that we have to
God. In this sense, worship is more than simply going to Church for Liturgy on Sunday
mornings. It is a way of life a lifestyle of complete and total surrender to God, a burning
desire to do His will in every facet of ones life that is nurtured by the Liturgy. Rick Warren
has written in his best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life: God is not interested in half-
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36

hearted commitment, partial obedience and the leftovers of your time and money. He desires
your full devotion, not just little bits and pieces of your life. In ancient times, the Latin word
sacramentum, from which we get the modern English word sacrament, had a very specific
meaning in military contexts: it was the oath of loyalty unto death that a Roman soldier made
to the Roman emperor when he first joined the army. Latin-speaking Christians soon began to
apply this word to the liturgical rites of the Church, particularly Baptism and the Eucharist,
which were seen as affirming ones loyalty unto death to Christ, the King of kings and the
Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). When we participate in the sacrament of the Eucharist by
eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Christ at the Liturgy on Sunday mornings, we are
committing ourselves to a sacramental and therefore surrendered and obedient way of life
the rest of the week.

True worship, worship that is authentic and fully and deeply Orthodox, is a way of life that
many modern Orthodox theologians and spiritual writers have called the liturgy after the
Liturgy. We go to Church to participate in the Liturgy, setting apart a specific time each
week to offer ourselves to God in love, gratitude and joy for what He has done for us; and in
return, at each Liturgy we attend, the gift of the Holy Spirit is renewed in us and we receive
the gifts of the Body and Blood of His beloved Son Jesus Christ to nurture His life in us, so
that we can become more Christ-like: more loving, more compassionate towards others, more
patient, more forgiving, more grateful, more peaceful, more faithful, more joyful. As St. John
the Evangelist and Theologian wrote in his First Letter, By this we may be sure that we are
in Him: whoever says I live in Him ought to walk just as He walked (1 John 2:5-6). It is in
the Liturgy that we are to open the doors of our hearts to Christ in the Holy Spirit so that we
can love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31). In other words, in the Liturgy, we are
called to be transformed, to become like the God whom we worship. In our Tradition, this
process is called theosis, a Greek word that means becoming like God. We are to become
what we worship.

Commentary: Being Slaves of God
When Orthodox Christians come forward to receive the Body and Blood of Christ at the
Eucharist, the priest addresses each person individually as the servant of God, a phrase
often heard in the Liturgy. However, the Greek word used here, just prior to receiving
Communion and throughout the Liturgy, is actually doulos, which means slave, and
so Christians are more accurately to think of themselves as slaves of God, a Biblical
phrase used to describe Moses (15:3) and the prophets of the Old Testament (10:7) in the
Book of Revelation. St. Paul, in his Letter to Titus (1:1), will also call himself a slave of
God, as will the apostle James (James 1:1). And in his First Letter (2:16), the apostle
Peter will write that Christians are to live their lives in freedom precisely because they
are slaves of God. St. Paul will also identify himself as a slave of Christ (Romans
1:1) and tell the Christians of Ephesus that they are to be slaves of Christ, doing the will
of God (Ephesians 6:16). A slave is someone who is completely dependent on his
master; who is always obedient to his master and seeks to do his will. In our relationship
with God, does this describe how we live? In the beautiful Lenten prayer of St. Ephraim,
we address God as the Lord and Master of my life. Do we really believe this? Being a
slave of God and a slave of Jesus Christ: this is the way that the apostles and saints define
what it means to be a Christian!
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Priest (in a low voice): Together with these blessed powers, merciful Master, we
also proclaim and say: You are holy and most holy, You and Your only begotten
Son and Your Holy Spirit. You are holy and most holy, and sublime is Your
glory. You so loved Your world that You gave Your only begotten Son so that
whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). He
came and fulfilled the divine plan for us. On the night when He was delivered up,
or rather when He gave Himself up for the life of the world (John 6:51), He took
bread in His holy, pure, and blameless hands, gave thanks, blessed, sanctified, and
broke it, and gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying:

Priest: Take, eat, this is my Body which is broken for you for the forgiveness of sins
(Matthew 26:26).


Priest (in a low voice): Likewise, after supper, He took the cup, saying (1
Corinthians 11:24):

Priest: Drink of it all of you; this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for
you and for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28).


51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will
live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
53
Jesus
said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his
blood you have no life in you.
54
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal
life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55
For my flesh is truly food and my blood is
truly drink.
56
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him.
57
Just
as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me
will live because of me.
58
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your
forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."
59
Jesus
said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

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16
Is not the cup of blessing for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of
Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
17
Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one
loaf.

2
I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just
as I passed them on to you.

23
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the
night he was betrayed, took bread,
24
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,
"This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
25
In the same way,
after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant (testament) in my
blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
26
For whenever you eat
this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
________________________________________________________________________

Commentary: The witness of the early Saints of the Church
that the Sacrament of Communion is to be received as the Body and Blood of Christ

St. Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch, who was executed in the Coliseum in Rome circa
115AD for being a Christian: Those who have perverted notions about the grace of Jesus
Christ that has come down to usavoid the Eucharist and public prayers because they do
not admit the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who suffered for our
sins and who the Father, in His goodness, resurrected. The sole Eucharist you should
consider valid is the one that is celebrated by the bishop or by some person authorized by
him (Letter to the Church in Smyrna: 6,7,8).

St. Justin the Philosopher and Martyr, who was executed in Rome for being a
Christian circa 155AD: After the one who presides at our worship has given thanks and
all the people have given their assent, those who are called deacons give to each person
present the bread and the wine mixed with water, over which the thanksgiving was
offered, so that all may partake. This food is called by us the Eucharist. It is not lawful
for anyone else to partake of it other than those who believe the things that we teach are
true and have been washed in the waters of baptism for the remission of sins and rebirth,
and who live by the teachings of Christ. We receive this food not as ordinary bread and
drink. Just as Jesus Christ our savior became flesh and blood for our salvation, so we
have been taught that the food that has been blessed by the prayer of His Word is the
flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh and nourishes our flesh and blood. For
the apostles, in their memoirs that are called Gospels, have passed on to us the things that
Jesus commanded them. They relate that Jesus took bread and after giving thanks, said,
This is my body. Do this in remembrance of me. And in like manner, having taken the
cup and given thanks, he said, This is my blood and gave it to them alone (The First
Apology written to the Emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, and to the people
of Rome: 66).

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Priest (in a low voice): Remembering, therefore, this command of the Savior, and
all that came to pass for our sake: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection on the third
day, the ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9-11), the enthronement at the right hand
of the Father (Acts 7:55), and the second, glorious coming.

Priest: We offer to You these gifts from Your own gifts (1 Chronicles 29:14) in all and
for all.

People: We praise You, we bless You, we give thanks to You (Psalm 75:1), and we pray
to You, Lord our God.

Priest (in a low voice): Once again we offer to You this spiritual worship (Romans 12:1)
without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22), and we ask, pray and beg You: send down
Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here presented.

Priest: And make this bread the precious Body of Your Christ.

People: Amen! (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48)

Priest: And that which is in this cup the precious Blood (1 Peter 1:19) of Your Christ.

People: Amen! (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48)

Priest: Changing them by Your Holy Spirit.

People: Amen! Amen! Amen! (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48)

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Commentary The Holy Spirit in the Liturgy
The Divine Liturgy is a charismatic, Pentecostal event an event in which the Holy Spirit
makes the Risen and Living Christ present among us. Christ is present in the Divine
Liturgy by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, making the Eucharist the source
and summit of the Christian life, what St. Maximos the Confessor (580-662AD) called
"the mystery of mysteries." And when we are receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in
Holy Communion, we are also participating in what St. Paul and the text of the Liturgy
calls "the communion of the Holy Spirit" (2 Corinthians 13:14). In Orthodoxy, the
epiclesis or invocation, the "calling forth" of the Holy Spirit upon the faithful and the
gifts of bread and wine being offered, is an essential element in the Eucharistic action,
affirming the fact that it is only in and by the power of the Holy Spirit that the Church
worships, lives and acts. The Church is the Body of Christ and it is the Holy Spirit that
constitutes the Church on the day of Pentecost, at every baptism and at every Eucharist.
Father Sergius Bulgakov (1871-1944) has written that The Church of Christ is not an
institution. It is a new life with Christ and in Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit. The
Church, as the Body of Christ, is by that very fact the domain where the Holy Spirit
works. More: the Church is life in the Spirit because it is the Body of Christ. Those who
live in Christ bear within themselves the Holy Spirit and inversely, those who have the
Spirit learn the meaning of St. Pauls words, It is no longer I who live but Christ who
lives in me. It is just this seal of the Spirit, this bearing of the Spirit, which the Orthodox
soul seeks and desires above all else.
When in 1968, the current Patriarch of Antioch, Ignatius, addressed the World Council of
Churches in Uppsala, Sweden, he described the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church
in this way: Without the Holy Spirit God is far away, Christ stays in the past, the Church
is merely an organization, authority is a matter of domination, mission a matter of
propaganda, the Liturgy no more than an evocation, and Christian living a slave morality.
But in the Holy Spirit, the cosmos is resurrected and groans with the birth pangs of the
Kingdom, the risen Christ is present, the Gospel is the power of Life, the Church shows
forth the Holy Trinity, authority is a liberating service, mission is a Pentecost, the Liturgy
is both memorial and anticipation and human action is deified.

In the Liturgy, all things are accomplished by God through Christ in the Spirit. Where the
Spirit is, there is Christ; and where Christ is, there is the Spirit. As Father Thomas Hopko
has written: Christ is the King and the Spirit is His Kingship; Christ is the Anointed One
of God and the Holy Spirit is the unction of His anointing; Christ is the Head of His
Body, the Church, and the Holy Spirit fills His Body and gives it life; Christ is the
Bridegroom and the Spirit fills his Bride, the Church; and Christ and the Spirit are
perfectly and completely One in their inseparable unity in God, who is love.

How happy and blessed are we Orthodox Christians that the Lord has given us life in the
Holy Spirit, wrote St. Silouan of Mt. Athos (1866-1938). The Holy Spirit lives in our
Church in the sacraments, in the holy Scriptures and in the hearts of the faithful. Gods
love is known in our Church by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Until I was seven and twenty
I simply believed that God was, but I did not know Him. But when my soul knew Him by
the Holy Spirit, I was consumed with longing for Him and now, day and night, I seek
Him with a burning heart. May we all seek the living God with burning hearts!
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Priest: So that they may be to those who partake of them for vigilance of soul,
forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7), communion of Your Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians
13:13), fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 4:17; 10:7), confidence before
You, and not in judgment or condemnation. Again, we offer this spiritual worship
(Romans 12:1) for those who rest in the faith: forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets,
apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics, and for every righteous
spirit made perfect in faith (Hebrews 12:23).

Priest: Especially for our most holy, pure, blessed (Luke 1:46), and glorious Lady, the
Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary.

People: It is truly right to bless you, Theotokos, ever blessed (Luke 1:46), most pure, and
mother of our God (cf. Luke 1:43). More honorable than the cherubim, and beyond
compare more glorious than the seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the
Word. We magnify you, the true Theotokos.
________________________________________________________________________

Commentary Who are the martyrs?

Derived from the Greek word meaning witness, a martyr is someone who suffers
persecution and death for their faith in Christ. St. Gregory the Theologian, the 4
th
century
Patriarch of Constantinople, once said that it is mere rashness to seek death, but it is
cowardly to refuse it in witnessing to our faith in Christ. Over the past two millennia
martyrs have been a symbol of strength for the faithful, a sign that God is more powerful
than death. All of the Apostles, who experienced the Risen Jesus, except for St. John the
Evangelist, were put to death for their faith in Christ. That so many Christians who knew
Jesus were willing to die for their claim that Jesus is Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3) gives a
powerful witness to us about who Jesus is. As St. Justin the Martyr wrote in the 2nd
century just before his own execution in Rome for the faith circa 155AD: "for it is plain
that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and
all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our confession of faith; but, the more these
things happen, the more others, in even larger numbers, become faithful. This
persecution of Christianity has continued through the centuries. To this day, Orthodox
Christians continue to be persecuted under Communism, various dictatorships, and Islam.
In fact, more Orthodox Christians died for their faith in the 20
th
century under
Communism in the former Soviet bloc countries than in all the persecutions carried out
by the Roman Empire during the first 300 years of Christian history.

St. Stephen (in Greek, stephanos means crown) was the first person in history to be
executed for being a Christian. His story is told in the New Testament by Luke the
Evangelist in the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-7:60). A man full of the Holy Spirit, he was
one of the seven deacons chosen by the Apostles to minister to the Greek-speaking
Christians of the first community in Jerusalem. Arrested for his public preaching of Jesus
Christ, he was like his Master before him brought before the Sanhedrin. For his
witness before the Sanhedrin to Jesus as the crucified and risen Messiah, he was
condemned to death by stoning. Taken outside the city walls, he was brutally stoned to
death by an angry mob. Stephen was the first of a long line of many, many men and
women who have paid the full price in blood for their faith in Jesus Christ.
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Priest (in a low voice): For Saint John the prophet, forerunner, and baptist; for the
holy, glorious and most honorable Apostles, for Saint(s) (Names) whose memory
we commemorate today; and for all Your saints, through whose supplications, O
God, bless us. Remember also all who have fallen asleep (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
in the hope of resurrection unto eternal life (Titus 1:2). (Here the priest
commemorates the names of the deceased.) And grant them rest, our God, where
the light of Your face shines (Psalm 4:6). Again, we ask You, Lord, remember
all Orthodox bishops (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:7-9)) who rightly teach the
word of Your truth (2 Timothy 2:15), all presbyters (Titus 1:5-6), all deacons (1
Timothy 3:8-13) in the service of Christ, and everyone in holy orders. We also
offer to You this spiritual worship (Romans 12:1) for the whole world, for the
holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, and for those living in purity and holiness.
And for all those in public service; permit them, Lord, to serve and govern in
peace that through the faithful conduct of their duties we may live peaceful and
serene lives in all piety and holiness (1Timothy 2:2).

Priest: Above all, remember, Lord, our Archbishop (Name): Grant that he may serve
Your holy churches in peace. Keep him safe, honorable, and healthy for many years,
rightly teaching the word of Your truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

*Priest: Remember also, Lord, those whom each of us calls to mind and all Your people.

People: And all Your people.

Commentary The Leadership Structures of the Church

In remembering our local Archbishop, we are reminded that we are part of the Church as
a whole, in this country and around the world. The Orthodox Church is a family of
Churches that share the same faith and sacramental life. It is composed primarily of 14
autocephalous (self-governing) Churches: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch,
Jerusalem, Moscow, Georgia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Albania,
Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Among these, in accordance with the canons of
several Ecumenical Councils, the Patriarch of Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey)
is ranked "first among equals." Theoretically, every bishop is equal; however, some
bishops hold a certain pre-eminence, are the chairmen of their respective synods of
bishops and have special responsibilities. In the United States, the Greek Orthodox
Archbishop of New York, who serves under the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople,
holds this primacy of responsibility. Within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
of which we are a part, in addition to the Archdiocese of New York, there are eight
Metropolises in the U.S. (territories based around a large city; metropolis is a Greek word
meaning "mother city"): New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco,
Pittsburgh and Denver. Together they form an eparchial (governing) synod of bishops,
chaired by the Archbishop of New York, under the auspices of the Patriarchate of
Constantinople. However, Orthodox Christians while honoring and praying for their
spiritual leaders must always bear in mind that it is Christ Himself who is the true Head
of the Church (Ephesians 5:23) and the "chief Shepherd" (1 Peter 5:4) of our souls.

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Priest (in a low voice): Remember, Lord, the city in which we live, every city and
country, and the faithful who dwell in them. Remember, Lord, the travelers, the
sick, the suffering, and the captives, granting them protection and salvation.
Remember, Lord, those who do charitable work, serve in Your holy churches, and
who remember the poor (Galatians 2:10). Send Your mercy upon us all.

Priest: And grant that with one voice and one heart (Romans 15:15) we may glorify and
praise Your most honored and majestic name, of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit (cf. Matthew 28:29), now and forever and to the ages of ages (Ephesians 3:21).


Priest: The mercy of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13) be with all of
you.


THE LITANY BEFORE THE LORD'S PRAYER

*Priest: Having remembered all the saints (Ephesians 1:15; Revelation 8:3), again and
again in peace let us pray to the Lord (Acts 8:24).


*Priest: For these precious Gifts offered and consecrated, let us pray to the Lord.


*Priest: That our loving God who has received these gifts at His holy, heavenly, and
spiritual altar as an offering of spiritual fragrance (Leviticus 1:13; Ephesians 5:2), may in
return send upon us divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 10:45), let us
pray.

________________________________________________________________________

Commentary The Gift and Fruit of the Holy Spirit

To have received "divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit" and be in communion with
God means that no matter who we are or what we look like, whatever language we speak
or country we're from, whether we're rich or poor, white, black, red or yellow, God has
touched our lives and filled us with the inexpressible joy of His love. God has called us to
Himself so that we can become, by His grace, like Him in every possible way. God is
good, holy, righteous, merciful, true, forgiving, loving and compassionate and we, as
baptized Christians, are given the gift of the Holy Spirit so that these qualities can
blossom in us. St. Paul writes, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22). Does this
describe us? Are we generous and gentle, kind and loving, patient and joyful? Have we
allowed the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives so that we can become the living icons of
His glory that we're called to be?
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*Priest: Having prayed for the unity of the faith (Ephesians 4:13) and for the communion
of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), let us commit ourselves, and one another, and
our whole life to Christ our God.


Priest (in a low voice): We entrust to You, loving Master, our whole life and
hope, and we ask, pray, and beg You: make us worthy to partake of your heavenly
and awesome Mysteries from this holy and spiritual table with a clear conscience
(1 Timothy 3:9); for the remission of sins (Hebrews 10:18), forgiveness of
transgressions, communion of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), the
inheritance of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 4:17; 7:21), confidence before
You, and not in judgment or condemnation.

Priest: And make us worthy, Master, with confidence and without fear of condemnation,
to dare call You, the heavenly God, FATHER, and to say:

THE LORDS PRAYER

People: Our Father, who art in heaven:
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6: 9-13).

Priest: For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:29), now and forever and to the ages of ages (1 Timothy
1:17).


Commentary The Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer is prayed not only during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, but at
every sacrament and service of prayer in the life of the Church. It should also be part of
our personal discipline of prayer on a daily basis. It is important to say that this is the
Lord's Prayer: it is prayer of the Son of God Himself given to His disciples in the Sermon
on the Mount as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. All too often we say the Lord's
Prayer by rote, without thinking about what the words we're saying really mean. But
according to the ancient North African Christian writer Tertullian (160-220AD), it is a
"summary of the whole Gospel." In the words of this prayer are contained the height,
breadth and depth of the Gospel and the purpose and meaning of our lives: that we are
called to be the beloved children of the one, true and living God, the Creator of the
universe who has loved everything from hummingbirds to galaxies into existence.
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OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN

By the word, "Our," the Lord Jesus teaches us to pray not merely as individuals but as
members of His community, the Church. When we pray, we must not think only of
ourselves. Living as we do in a consumer society plagued by individualism and self-
centeredness, it is important to notice that in the Lord's Prayer the words I, me, my and
mine are nowhere to be found. There is no room for selfishness in the heart of someone
who prays the Lord's Prayer.

St. Paul writes: "because we have received adoption as God's children, God has sent the
Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying Abba, Father!" (Galatians 4:5-6). Through Christ,
in the Holy Spirit, Christians joyfully address the God who created the universe with
stunning intimacy, as our Father. The God who has created 100 thousand million stars in
our galaxy alone loves us and wants us to address Him as our Father. The God whom
Jesus has taught us to address as our Father is the all-powerful ruler of the cosmos. In the
original Greek, it is not the word "Heaven" but the plural form "Heavens" that is used
here. This is an ancient way of saying that the God whom we worship and who loves us
as His children is greater than the universe He has created and transcends it.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME

"Hallowed" is the old English word meaning "to make holy" or "to sanctify." How do we
sanctify God's holy name? On this all the saints of the Church are clear: we sanctify
God's name by how we live our lives as believers. We cannot make God's name holy by
our prayers; God's name is already holy in ways we can scarcely even imagine. Rather,
we are begging God that His name may be "hallowed" in us, that we will become holy,
that we will become His saints by the depth and sincerity of our convictions and the
loving quality and character of our lives: anything less than this would blaspheme God's
name.

THY KINGDOM COME

The Lord's Prayer is an eschatological prayer and these words should make us tremble
because here we pray for the end of the world and the coming of the four horsemen of the
Apocalypse (Revelation 6:1-8). We pray for the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:30-46), that
final day when every man, woman and child will stand before what St. Paul calls the
dread judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) to be judged by how compassionately
we have lived, either entering into the kingdom of our Father "prepared before the
beginning of the world" or "the eternal fire prepared for the devil and all of his angels"
(Matthew 25: 34,41).

THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

We can ultimately find meaning for our lives only by doing God's will and not our own,
by serving the Kingdom of God and not the kingdom of me. The purpose of life cannot
be found in what I want. It can be found only in what God wants. All of the Christian life
is the bending of our will towards God's will and living accordingly no matter what the
cost. What does it mean to live according to God's will and so inherit the Kingdom of the
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Father? To give food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to care
for the sick, to visit those in prison, to welcome strangers (Matthew 25:30-41); to be a
peacemaker, to be willing to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness, to be meek,
merciful, and pure of heart (Matthew 5:3-11); to love one's enemies (Matthew 5:44); to
pray, fast and give alms to the poor without ostentation or showiness (Matthew 6:1-18);
never judging others (Matthew 7:1). Is this how we live?

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD

The saints of the Church have interpreted this petition in two ways: first, that we are
declaring our total dependence on God for our day-to-day existence and that whatever we
have to sustain our life is a gift from Him; and second, that this is a prayer for the Bread
of Life, the Eucharistic Bread, the Bread that is His Body that we will receive in the
mystery of Holy Communion, the Bread of eternal life (John 6:53-58).

FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES
AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US

The heart of the Gospel is forgiveness. To be forgiving is the most basic element of a
truly Christian lifestyle. Forgiveness puts an end to the all too human cycle of vengeance
and retribution. But to offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged us is often difficult
to do. The practice of forgiveness requires humility, courage and strength of character.
Nonetheless, here and elsewhere in the Gospels (Mark 11:25; Matthew 6:14), Christ
makes it perfectly clear that we cannot ask God for forgiveness unless we are prepared to
forgive others. What is the source of our ability to forgive others? Forgiveness of others
is a response to our being forgiven. Christians can forgive because we know that we've
already been redeemed and forgiven by God in the blood of His Son and the riches of His
grace (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). And, Christ tells us in the Parable of the
Unforgiving Servant, the debt of sin that God has forgiven us is far greater than any debt
owed us by another human being (Matthew 18:23-35).

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL

This petition could be wrongly taken to imply that God Himself tempts us. Nothing could
be further from the truth. On this, the Scriptures are absolutely clear: No one, when
tempted, should say, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil and
He tempts no one. Rather, one is tempted by one's own desire" (James 1:13-14). We are
tempted by our own desires: our egotistical arrogance and selfishness, hatred, cruelty, lust
for power, greed, anger and a host of other vices that pull us away from God's loving
Presence, forcing us to sink back into ourselves and making us children of evil instead of
children of the God who is love (1 John 4:8).

FOR YOURS IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY

This closing doxology that is today said by the priest is first found in an ancient Christian
document from the early 2
nd
century called The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles which
recommends that the Lord's Prayer should be prayed by Christians at least three times
every day as part of one's discipline of personal prayer.
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Priest: Peace be with all (John 20:26; 1 Peter 5:14; 3 John 15).


*Priest: Let us bow our heads to the Lord (Nehemiah 8:6).


Priest (in a low voice): We give thanks (Psalm 107:1) to You, invisible King (1
Timothy 1:17). By Your infinite power You created all things and by Your great
mercy You brought everything from nothing into being (2 Maccabees 7:28).
Master, look down from heaven upon those who have bowed their heads before
You; for they have bowed not before flesh and blood (Matthew 16:17) but before
You the awesome God (Nehemiah 9:2; Deuteronomy 7:21; Psalm 111:9).
Therefore, Master, guide the course of our life for our benefit according to the
need of each of us. Sail with those who sail, travel with those who travel; and
heal the sick, Physician of our souls and bodies.

Priest: By the mercy, compassion, and love for us of Your only begotten (John 1:18)
Son, with whom You are blessed, together with Your all-holy, good and life-creating
Spirit (Psalm 143:10; John 6:63), now and forever and to the ages of ages (Ephesians
3:21).


Commentary Repentance: re-orienting our lives toward Christ

Repentance is a word found numerous times throughout the Divine Liturgy. What does it
mean to repent? What is repentance? The Lord Jesus began His ministry by saying,
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near (Matthew 4:17). Repentance is thus the
beginning of the Gospel, the starting point of our lives as Christians, the foundation upon
which everything else must be built. The Greek term metanoia that is used in the Gospels
and normally translated as repentance, primarily means a change of mind.
Repentance is to change the way we think about God, ourselves and the world around us,
seeing everything in a new way. Repentance is not only negative, it is not merely regret
over past actions; it is also positive. It is not merely to wallow in guilt, self-pity and
despair because of our sins, but rather it is a transformation of outlook, a change of
direction, a re-orientation of our lives, a re-centering of our minds and hearts on Christ
and His commandments. The life of a Christian, as a disciple of the Lord Jesus, is one of
continual repentance. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware has written: "In this sense, repentance
is not just a single act, an initial step, but a continuing state, an attitude of heart and will
that needs to be ceaselessly renewed up to the end of our life." Repentance is therefore to
take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) and so acquire the mind
of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). As St. Issac of Ninevah (c.700AD) said: "This life has
been given to you for repentance. Do not waste it on other things." Or, as St. Basil the
Great (330-379AD) put it even more succinctly: "Repentance is salvation."
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HOLY COMMUNION

Priest (in a low voice): Lord Jesus Christ, our God, hear us from Your holy dwelling
place (Isaiah 57:15) and from the glorious throne of Your kingdom. You are enthroned
on high with the Father (cf. Hebrews 8:1) and are also invisibly present among us. Come
and sanctify us, and let Your pure Body and precious Blood (1 Peter 1:19) be given to us
by Your mighty hand and through us to all Your people.

*Priest: Let us be attentive.

Priest: The holy Gifts for the holy people of God.

People: One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians
2:11). Amen (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48).

Commentary Eucharistic Living: A Life of Gratitude

The Tradition of the Church describes the Eucharist in many ways. It is "the Lord's
Supper" (1 Corinthians 11:20). It is "the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9).
It is about communion with God, that we may become sons and daughters of God the
Father; that in eating bread and drinking wine set apart and consecrated by the Holy
Spirit we are participating in the crucified, risen and glorified Body and Blood of Jesus. It
is about fulfilling Old Testament sacrifices: as the Paschal lamb was sacrificed, its blood
put on the doorways of faithful Jews hoping for the shadow of death to pass over their
household as described in the Book of Exodus, so we put the Body and Blood of Christ,
our Paschal lamb, on the doorway of our heart. It is about partaking in what St. Ignatius
of Antioch (c.115AD) called "the medicine of immortality," which we, who are sick and
dying, need for eternal life. It is about receiving a purifying and divine fire, which burns
away our sins.

Ultimately, the Liturgy summarizes the life we are called to live in communion with God
and is, among other things, a school for Christian living. Within the liturgy we come to
know God, the world, and ourselves, because the liturgy communicates the meaning and
purpose of life and helps us to understand and internalize both the tragedy of the human
condition as well as the limitless expanse and potential of the new life in Christ offered
freely to everyone. It is only when we recognize the rich network of connections

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between the Eucharist and our daily life can our lives be truly Eucharistic and lived with
a grateful heart. Living in a Eucharistic way has everything to do with seeing life as a
gift, a gift for which we are forever grateful. What would it be like to live every moment
of our lives as a gift even those moments that are difficult and painful? It is in seeing
our life as a gift "from the Giver of all good things" as we say in the Liturgy that we
acknowledge the Giver of our life, discover the meaning and purpose of our life and then
can live accordingly. There should never be a Liturgy that we attend in which we do not
come away with this insight for living. There should never be a time in Liturgy when
there is not a movement of our heart: from a hardened heart to a grateful heart, from a
heart of stone to a heart of flesh, from a heart often filled with resentment or anger or
self-righteousness to a heart filled with gratitude, compassion, faith, hope, and love.

It is in the Liturgy of the Eucharist that the Lord Jesus gives us everything, giving
Himself completely to us. By the power of the Holy Spirit and, in this sense, the
Liturgy is a truly charismatic event, worship in Spirit and in Truth the bread is His
Body broken for us on the Cross and the wine is His Blood poured out for us. The Word
of God not only became flesh for us centuries ago in a far-away country; the Word of
God becomes food and drink for us now at every Eucharistic celebration. God holds
nothing of Himself back! The word that best expresses this mystery of God's total self-
giving love is communion. This is the word that best contains the truth that, in and
through Jesus, God wants not only to teach us, instruct us and inspire us, but He wants to
become one with us. God desires to be fully and completely united with us so that we will
be bound together with Him in a love that will stretch into eternity. This is what St. Paul
means when he speaks of life "in Christ." He is so completely and totally united with
Jesus that in his Letter to the Galatians he can say, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ
who lives in me" (2:20). This experience of loving union with Christ is the goal of every
Liturgy, the experience you should have every time you receive the Body and Blood of
the Savior. And such communion with Jesus means becoming like Him. In this sense, it is
not just the Eucharist but the Eucharistic life the liturgy after the Liturgy - that makes
the difference. When, after services, we leave the Church we must live the Eucharist as
long and as fully as we can. Because Christ is holy, just, merciful, and loving, Christians
are called to participate in His holiness, love, mercy, and justice. The Lord Jesus gave us
the Eucharist to enable us to choose gratitude as the basic stance of our lives. It is from
this sense of gratitude that all genuine worship of God and compassion for others flows.
Without this deep sense of gratitude, we remain little people with little concerns who live
little lives full of anger, bitterness and resentment. This is a choice we ourselves have to
make on a daily, hour by hour and even moment by moment basis. Nobody can make
this decision for us. It is in making this choice for gratitude that we can let the Lord Jesus
and the Holy Spirit touch every part of our being and transform us from within. Real
change from the inside out! As often as we make this choice for Eucharistic living,
everything even the most trivial things becomes different. Our "little" lives are caught
up in the mysterious work of redemption and salvation. Once that happens, nothing is
accidental, trivial or futile anymore and life opens its meaning to us from every side. The
Eucharist summarizes the life we are called to live in the Name of God.

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THE COMMUNION HYMN

People: Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest. Alleluia (Psalm
148:1) (3x).

(The Communion Hymn changes according to the Feast Day.)

Priest: (After the breaking of the sacred Bread, the priest says in a low voice) The Lamb
of God (John 1:29) is broken and distributed; broken but not divided. He is forever eaten
yet never consumed, but He sanctifies those who partake of Him.

(Then the priest places a portion of the sacred Bread in the Cup saying) The fullness of
the Holy Spirit. Amen (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48).

(He then blesses the warm water saying) Blessed is the fervor of Your saints, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48).

Pouring the water into the Cup crosswise, he says:) The fervor of faith, the fullness of the
Holy Spirit. Amen (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48).

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(The following pre-Communion Prayers are recited
by those prepared to receive the holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ.)

I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living
God (Matthew 16:16), who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the
first (1 Timothy 1:15). I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that
this is truly Your precious Blood (1 Peter 1:19). Therefore, I pray to You, have
mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions (Psalm 50:1), voluntary and
involuntary, in word and deed, known and unknown. And make me worthy
without condemnation to partake of Your pure Mysteries for the forgiveness of
sins (Ephesians 1:7) and eternal life (John 3:15; 17:3). Amen (Psalm 106:48).

How shall I, whom am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I dare
to enter into the bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a
wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the angels (cf.
Matthew 2:1-12). In Your love, Lord, cleanse my soul and save me.

Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my
condemnation because of my unworthiness (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:29-30), but for
the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the pledge of the future life
and Your kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the
hope of my salvation.

Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not
reveal Your mystery to Your adversaries. Nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas
(cf. Luke 22:47-48; Mark 14:43-45; Matthew 26:47-49). But like the thief on the
cross I confess You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom (Luke 23:42).

27
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28
A man ought
to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
29
For anyone who
eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on
himself.
30
That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have
fallen asleep (died).
31
But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.

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(The Priest prepares to receive Holy Communion.)

Priest: Behold, I dare to approach Christ, our immortal King and God.

The precious and most holy Body of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ is given to
me (Name) the priest, for the forgiveness of my sins (Ephesians 1:7) and eternal life
(John 3:15; 17:3).

(He then partakes of the sacred Bread.)

The precious and most holy Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ is given to
me (Name) the priest, for the forgiveness of my sins (Ephesians 1:7) and eternal life
(John 3:15; 17:3).

(He then drinks from the Chalice.)

(Afterwards, he wipes the Chalice, kisses it, and says)

This has touched my lips, taking away my transgressions and cleansing my sins (Isaiah
6:7).

(The priest then transfers
the remaining portions of the consecrated Bread into the Chalice, saying)

Having beheld the resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only
sinless One. We venerate Your cross, O Christ, and we praise and glorify Your holy
resurrection. You are our God. We know no other than You, and we call upon Your
name. Come, all faithful, let us venerate the holy resurrection of Christ. For behold,
through the cross joy has come to all the world. Blessing the Lord always, let us praise
His resurrection. For enduring the cross for us, He destroyed death (2 Timothy 1:10) by
death.
________________________________________________________________________

Commentary: Who May Receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church?

Orthodox Christians fully participate in the celebration of the Liturgy when they receive
the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion, as the Lord Himself
commands (John 6:53-54). Because of Christs promise of eternal life for those who eat
and drink at the Lords Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20), frequent reception of the Body
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and Blood of Christ at every Liturgy, if possible is encouraged for all Orthodox
Christians. To receive communion in the Orthodox Church, one must be a practicing
Orthodox Christian. This means that you must be Baptized and/or Chrismated in the
Orthodox Church and that your beliefs and lifestyle are in accordance with the teachings
of the Church. In order to be properly prepared for this encounter with Christ, those
seeking to receive communion should not be conscious of grave sin, having opened their
hearts with prayer, fasted appropriately and lived with charity and love towards their
neighbors. Because, as the Apostle Paul teaches, it is possible to receive the Body and
Blood of the Lord in an unworthy manner and actually be sinning against the Body
and Blood of the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:27-30), those who are aware of grave sin in
their lives should first participate in the sacrament of confession - confess their sins and
be reconciled to Christ and his Church - before approaching the chalice to receive
communion.

What is grave sin, a sin unto death (1 John 5:16), that would bar us from approaching
the chalice? St. Paul writes that those who commit the following sins will not inherit the
Kingdom of God: drunkenness, idolatry, sorcery, theft, sexual immorality, adultery and
homosexuality (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21). The Book of Revelation adds
murderers to this list (Revelation 21:7-8; 22:14-15). The presence of such serious sin in
ones life is an indication that one neither truly believes in God nor truly accepts the
Gospel of Christ with all of its consequences for how we are to live.

St. Basil the Great (329-379AD) on Receiving Communion Frequently

Daily communion and participation in the holy Body and Blood of Christ is a good and
helpful practice. The Lord clearly says: "The man who eats My Flesh and drinks My
Blood has eternal life." Who then can doubt that to partake of this Life continually is
really to have life in abundance? For myself, I receive communion four times a week: on
the Lord's Day (Sunday), Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and on other days if there is the
commemoration of a martyr. (Letter 93)

Receiving Communion
Frederica Mathewes-Green has written about her experience of receiving Communion in
her book At the Corner of East and Now: I drive carpool, write e-mail, read the paper,
go to the mall, pop in a DVD. None of this matters; all of it could blow away overnight.
What does matter is this slim golden thread: the Liturgy that begins each Sunday morning
in my Church and reaches its fulfillment in the moment I receive communion. Prayer
spills backward and forward from that moment, wrapping me into union with God. Its
the work of a lifetime that stretches on beyond my earthly life. This perspective is
backward from the usual. What happens in church is the most important thing; what
happens in the rest of my life seems transient and contingent. The Liturgy is whole and
beautiful; the rest of my life seems random and bumpy. When death strips away from me
all the shreds of foolishness, self-indulgence, gossip and greed, this will remain, one of
the few things to remain. In the moment after communion, I press my lips against the
chalice, a kiss of surrender, veneration and gratitude. It is the one true centering moment
of my oblivious cycling days and weeks. On the chalice I see the face of Christ painted in
enamel. I look at Him and He looks at me.
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(He takes the holy Cup, comes to the Royal Doors, raises it and says)

*Priest: With the fear of God, faith and love, draw near.

(Those prepared come forth with reverence to receive Holy Communion
while the people sing the communion hymn.)

(When adminstering Holy Communion, the priest says) The servant of God (Name)
receives the Body and Blood of Christ for forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7) and eternal
life (John 3:15; 17:3).

(When Communion has been given to all,
the priest blesses the people with the Chalice, saying)

Priest: O God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance (Psalm 28:9).

People: We have seen the true light (John 1:9); we have received the heavenly Spirit; we
have found the true faith (1 Timothy 2:7), worshiping the undivided Trinity, for the
Trinity has saved us.
_______________________________________________________________________

Scripture

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10).

"The fear of the Lord is truly life" (Proverbs 19:23).

"Fear the Lord and turn away from evil" (Proverbs 3:7).

"Fear God and keep His commandments" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

"Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, making holiness
complete in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

"Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come" (Revelation
14:7).

"The righteous will live by faith" (Hebrews 10:38).

"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Without
faith it is impossible to please God for whoever would approach Him must believe that
He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:1, 6).

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
mind and with all your strength; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark
12:30-31).

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not envious, boastful, arrogant or rude. Love is not
irritable or resentful. Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
Make love your aim" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8; 14:1).

"Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).
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(Having returned the Cup to the holy Table, the priest places the particles of the
Theotokos and the saints on the paten into the Chalice, and then those of the
living and the dead saying)

Wash away, Lord, by Your holy Blood, the sins of all those commemorated here through
the intercessions of the Theotokos and all Your saints. Amen (1 Chronicles 16:36;
Psalm 106:48).

(He covers the vessels and censes them saying)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let Your glory be over all the earth (Psalm
108:5).

(He lifts the vessels and says in a low voice)

Blessed is our God(1 Peter 1:3)

Priest (aloud): Always, now and forever and to the ages of ages (1 Timothy 1:17).

_______________________________________________________________________

Commentary Praying the Bible in the Liturgy

Orthodox Christians are not merely to read the Bible; we are also to pray the Bible. This
takes place most clearly and completely in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom on a
Sunday to Sunday basis. Yes, there are two readings from the New Testament during the
Liturgy an Epistle reading from one of the Letters of the apostles Paul, Peter, James and
John or other apostolic writings; and a Gospel reading from one of the four evangelists
but we pray the Lords Prayer and also sing verses from the Book of Psalms. In the
priests blessing, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and
the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all, we hear St. Pauls final farewell to
the Church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 13:13); and in the choirs singing of Holy, Holy,
Holy Lord God of Sabaoth, Heaven and Earth are full of Your glory, we hear the song
of the angelic cherubim first heard by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah in the Temple in
Jerusalem (Isaiah 6:1-5). The prayers of the Liturgy are full of biblical imagery and shot
through with hundreds of Biblical quotes. In fact, the late French Orthodox theologian,
Paul Evdokimov (1902-1970), once calculated that there are 98 quotations from the Old
Testament and 114 quotations from the New Testament woven into the prayers of the
Liturgy. The language of the Liturgy is the language of the Bible! To come to Liturgy
attentively is to learn to pray the Bible!

But more than this: the priesthood, the vestments, the altar, the tabernacle, the oil lamps,
the incense, and so much else of the Church's structures for worship are taken from the
Old Testament Scriptures, particularly Exodus, Leviticus and the Book of Psalms, and are
seen as the Christological fulfillment of the worship of the people of ancient Israel in
both the synagogue and the Temple as described in the New Testament's Letter to the
Hebrews. Every aspect of the Old Testament Passover/Exodus has been fulfilled in the
death and resurrection of Christ and this is what we celebrate at each Divine Liturgy!
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People: Let our mouths be filled with Your praise (cf. Psalm 71:8), O Lord, that we may
sing of Your glory. You have made us worthy to partake of Your holy mysteries. Keep
us in Your holiness, that all the day long we may meditate upon Your righteousness (cf.
Psalm 35:28). Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! (Psalm 150:6)

THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

*Priest: Let us stand! Having partaken of the divine, holy, pure, immortal, heavenly, life
giving, and awesome Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily give thanks to the Lord (Psalm
107:1).

People: Lord, have mercy (cf. Deuteronomy 4:31; Daniel 9:9; Matthew 15:22; 20:30).
______________________________________________________________________

Commentary - The Church Building or Temple and the People of God

Most Orthodox Churches are divided into three distinct parts, mirroring in some ways the
Old Testament Temple in Jerusalem: the narthex or entry way; the nave or main body of
the Church building; and the altar or sanctuary, located behind the iconostasis or icon
"screen." The altar area corresponds roughly to what was called the Holy of Holies in the
Jerusalem Temple; the nave to the court of the faithful; and the narthex to the court of the
Gentiles. As a consecrated building, specifically set aside for worship, everything we do
in Church should be done in a spirit of respect, courtesy, reverence and even awe,
because it is here, within these four walls, that the heavenly and earthly realms meet
during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and we will experience the presence of God
if we have eyes that really see and ears that really hear. St. Germanos, Patriarch of
Constantinople (d. 760AD), wrote in his Commentary on the Divine Liturgy that "the
Church is the temple of God, a holy place, a house of prayer, the assembly of the people,
the Body of Christan earthly heaven in which the God of heaven dwells and moves."
But the Church is more than a building! The Church is people God's people who
gather together in His Name, thereby calling themselves Christians; who share a common
faith and hope based on the Gospel; affirm the truth or orthodoxy of their belief and
experience; and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all. The word ekklesia literally
means those people who have been called out of the world by the Word of God to be His
people. So the Church is a community, an assembly of people, who are baptized into
Christ, receive the Holy Spirit and relate to God as their Father.

What do the Scriptures say about the people of God's Church? "You are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may proclaim the wonderful
deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were no
people but now you are God's people" (1 Peter 2:9,19). Like living stones, you are being
built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). "You are fellow citizens with the saints and
members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles,
Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined
together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:19-21). We are His
people!
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*Priest: Having prayed for a perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless day, let us commit
ourselves, and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.


Priest (in a low voice): We thank You, loving Master, benefactor of our souls,
that on this day You have made us worthy once again of Your heavenly and
immortal Mysteries. Direct our ways in the right path, establish us firmly in Your
fear, guard our lives, and make our endeavors safe, through the prayers and
supplications of the glorious Theotokos and ever virgin Mary and of all Your
saints.

Priest: For You are our sanctification and to You we give glory, to the Father and to the
Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages (1 Timothy 1:17).


Commentary The word mercy

The word mercy in English is the translation of the Greek word eleos. This word has the
same ultimate root as the old Greek word for oil, or more precisely, olive oil; a substance
which was used extensively as a soothing agent for minor wounds. The oil was poured onto
the wound and gently massaged in, thus soothing, comforting and making whole the injured
part. The Hebrew word which is also translated as eleos and mercy is hesed, and means
steadfast love and implies the relationship a father has with a daughter or a husband with a
wife. The Greek phrase for "Lord, have mercy" is Kyrie, eleison, that is to say: "Lord, soothe
me, comfort me, take away my pain and show me your steadfast love." Thus mercy does not
refer so much to justice or acquittal in a court of law but to the infinite loving-kindness of
God, and his compassion for his suffering children! It is in this sense that we pray "Lord,
have mercy," with such great frequency throughout the Divine Liturgy.

Commentary The word Blessed

The word blessed is used throughout the Liturgy, beginning with its very first word. Jim
Forest, in his book The Ladder of the Beatitudes, has written: The typical Jewish prayer
begins: Blessed are you, Lord our God . . . This has been taken into Christianity, in
particular into Orthodoxy, where no service can begin without saying, Blessed is our God
Different Hebrew words have been translated as blessed, beginning with baruk. Baruk is
linked to kneeling a blessing would be received while kneeling, a posture of respect and
submission. Ashre is another Hebrew word which has been translated as blessed. The root
meaning is to go straight, to advance. The person who is blessed in this sense is one for
whom things are on the right track, going along a straight way, making headway. The
Gospels were written in Greek. In those passages where blessed is a verb, the Greek is
eulogeo (to bless) an action associated with praise, thanksgiving and consecration, and
therefore used in liturgical contexts."
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THE DISMISSAL

Priest: Let us depart in peace.



Priest: Lord, bless those who bless You (cf. Numbers 24:9; Genesis 12:3) and sanctify
those who trust in You. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance (Psalm 28:9).
Protect the whole body of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your
house (Psalm 26:8). Glorify them in return by Your divine power, and do not forsake us
who hope in You (cf. Psalm 39:7; 71:5; 1 Timothy 1:1; 1 John 3:3). Grant peace to Your
world, to Your churches, to the clergy, to those in public service, to the armed forces, and
to all Your people. For every good and perfect gift is from above, coming from You, the
Father of lights (James 1:17). To You we give glory, thanksgiving, and worship, to the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:29), now and forever and to the ages
of ages (1 Timothy 1:17).


Blessed is the name of the Lord, both now and to the ages (Psalm 113:2) (3x).

(The priest proceeds to the Prothesis and prays in a low voice) Christ our God,
You are the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (cf. Matthew 5:17). You
have fulfilled all the dispensation of the Father. Fill our hearts with joy and
gladness always, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen (1 Timothy
1:17).



Priest: May the blessings of the Lord (cf. Psalm 129:8; Proverbs 10:22) and His mercy
come upon you through His divine grace and love always, now and forever and to the
ages of ages (1 Timothy 1:17).


Priest: Glory to You, O God, our hope, glory to you.

Priest: May Christ our true God who rose from the dead, as a good, loving, and merciful
God, have mercy upon us and save us, through the intercessions of His most pure and
holy Mother, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary; by the power of His precious and life-
giving Cross; the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the
supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist; the
holy, glorious and praiseworthy apostles; the holy, glorious and triumphant martyrs; our
holy and God-bearing Fathers (name of the church); the holy and righteous ancestors
Joachim and Anna; of Saint (of the day) whose memory we commemorate today, and of
all the saints.
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59

People: Amen (Psalm 106:48).

People: Lord, grant long life to him who blesses and sanctifies us.

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 11:17; 15:26;
16:31), our God, have mercy on us (Psalm 51:1) and save us.
1

People: Amen (Psalm 106:48).

Priest: (blessing the people) May the holy Trinity protect all of you.

(While distributing the antidoron or blessed bread, the priest says)

May the blessing and the mercy of the Lord be with you.

______________________
1
(During the Paschal period, for the 40 days from Easter to the celebration of the
Ascension of Christ, the priest says instead Christ is risen . . .)

Commentary

St. John Chrysostom On Leaving the Divine Liturgy

Let us leave the Divine Liturgy like lions breathing fire, having become fearsome even to
the devil, because we have received the holy Body and Blood of the Lord. By this we
have been given great power! This Blood chases demons away and brings the angels near
us. This Blood is the salvation of our souls; with this Blood the soul is washed clean and
made beautiful. This Blood makes our minds brighter than fire!

So, encourage our brothers and sisters who are absent to come to Church! Exhort those
who are deceived by demons and stay away to return. Teach whoever doesnt attend
Church that you sang hymns with the seraphim, that you belong to Heaven even now and
that you met with Christ and spoke with Him. Counsel them not only with words, but also
with how you live. However, even if you dont say anything, but merely come out of the
Divine Liturgy showing those who were absent from worship the gain you have received
from Church simply by your appearance, by your gaze and your voice, by the way you
walk, and with all the spiritual power you have receivedthis is enough for exhortation
and counsel, because the truth is that we should come out of Church as if we were
descending from Heaven itself. If we live the Divine Liturgy thus, we will not have to say
anything to those who were absent. But seeing how we have benefited, they will learn
what they have missed and will quickly run to Church to delight in the grace and
philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To Him, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, belongs all glory to the ages of
ages.

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Commentary The Liturgy after the Liturgy: Sharing His Presence with the World

What is the last thing that we do at the Divine Liturgy? It isn't coming forward to
venerate the cross, nor is it to receive the antidoron or to sing a hymn. Then what is it? It
is to leave the Church. We, as God's people, assemble to enter into His Presence and even
eat and drink with Him at the Mystical Supper that He has provided us. Then we disperse
in order to take God's Presence into the world. In a very practical way, this means that
we're supposed to be missionaries of God's Presence and Kingdom in the world. This is
the heart of being evangelical a Greek word meaning that we are a Gospel-centered and
Gospel-sharing community. We have received His divine gifts and so we must share
them freely with everyone. The Divine Liturgy sums up our entire Christian life. We are
empowered to bring the gift of God's loving and compassionate Presence Christ in the
Holy Spirit to a lost and hurting world torn apart by human cruelty, lust and greed.
This is our mission in life: to serve others by sharing with them the gift of communion
with the one, true and living God; and loving everyone whom God sends us as ourselves.
Only then will we discover the true meaning and purpose of our lives. The final act of
receiving is giving.

Father Anthony Coniaris writes that in the Book of Genesis (12:2) God blesses Abraham
so that he, in turn, will be a blessing to the world. We are blessed in order to bless
others. We are forgiven in order to forgive. We are loved in order to love. We are
comforted in order to comfort others. We are saved to help others find salvation. Christ
came to serve in order to teach us to serve others. Christ confesses us before His father in
heaven as His very own so that we will confess Him before the world. We are His people.
He is in us and we are in Him. The Liturgy continues after we leave Church. We return to
the world as other Christs and the Liturgy we experienced in Church continues when
we make real His love through our acts of mercy in the world. The Lord Jesus is very
clear about our mission as believers: we are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty,
clothe the naked, visit those who are sick and welcome strangers, always recognizing that
in our care for others we are caring for Him (Matthew 25:31-46). If, in fact, we are not
doing these things we are explicitly told in the Scriptures that our faith is dead (James
2:17). Connecting worship and serving the poor, St. John Chrysostom said: "Do you
wish to honor the Body of Christ? Do not ignore Him when He is naked. Do not pay Him
homage in the Liturgy, only then to neglect him outside where He is cold and ill-clad. He
who said: This is my body is the same person who said: You saw me hungry and you
gave me no food, and whatever you did to the least of my brothers you did also to
me What good is it if the Eucharistic altar is overloaded with golden chalices when
your brother is dying of hunger outside. Satisfy the hunger of your brother and then with
what is left you may adorn the altar as well." And Archbishop Anastasios (Yiannoulatos)
of Albania has written: The Liturgy must be continued in the personal situations of
everyday life. Each of us is called upon to continue a personal Liturgy on the secret altar
of his or her own heart, to become a living proclamation of the Good News for the sake
of the world. Without this continuation, the Liturgy remains unfinished. In the Eucharist,
because we are incorporated into Him who came to serve the world and be sacrificed for
it, we have to express concretely, in community life, our new being in Christ, the Servant
of all. The sacrifice of the Eucharist must be extended in personal sacrifices for those
people who are in need, our brothers and sisters for whom Christ also died.

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Appendix 1
Worship, Beauty and the Desire for God
by Frederica Mathewes-Green

Our worship is beautiful. Beauty is that which opens our eyes to the majesty of God and
moves us to desire Him. Worship is not just an intellectual grasping of truths but a
process of falling in love. Beauty opens us to adoration and a craving for God begins to
take root. Without this, our love for Him may be polite, respectful and even theologically
accurate, but it lacks the headlong abandonment that should characterize a relationship
between lover and beloved. Orthodox worship is quite elaborate, even voluptuous with
beauty. Extravagant but not formal, fancy but not fussy, our worship is like a big family
Christmas dinner, with the best linens and finest dishes and everyone having a wonderful
time.
Worship was always meant to be gloriously, delightfully beautiful. This was true even in
the time of Moses. Although His people were wandering the desert in tents, God
commanded them to construct a tabernacle for worship that was staggeringly elaborate.
The directions given in the Book of Exodus require gold, silver, precious stones, blue and
purple cloth, embroidery, incense, bells and anointing oil. The pattern continues in the
visions of the prophets, where God appears in glorious settings. Isaiah sees Him high
and lifted up, wearing a robe with a voluminous train, while soaring angels chant a
hymn and the smoke of incense fills the Temple (Isaiah 6). Daniel pictures the entrance
of the Son of Man into the throne room of the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9-14). In the last
book of the Bible, St. John has a vision of heavenly worship that includes precious
stones, gold, thrones, crowns, white robes, crystal and incense (Revelation 4). From the
beginning to the end of Scripture, worship is accompanied by great beauty. As a result,
Orthodox worship engages all the senses: we touch and kiss those things we venerate,
smell incense and beeswax candles, taste bread and wine, and hear chanting and hymns.
The sense of vision has the most to savor: we see the priest moving through the
congregation carrying the brocade-draped gifts, preceded by a cross and candles carried
in procession, surrounded by icons, and our friends and fellow worshippers bowing and
praying as the smoke of incense swirls around us. The body is good and we worship with
our whole bodies.
However, beauty is not an end in itself; mere ceremonialism would be a circular exercise
and ultimately dead. But when entered with expectant joy, nothing opens the heart to
deeper worship like beauty. In his Confessions, St. Augustine the fourth century bishop
of Hippo in North Africa wrote of the passage through beauty into passionate love for
God: Late it was that I loved You, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved You!
You were within me, yet I sought for You outside; in my ugliness I plunged into the
beauties You had made. You were with me but I was not with You. You called, You
cried out, You shattered my deafness, You flashed, You shone, You scattered my
blindness. You breathed perfume and I drew in my breath and I pant for You. I tasted and
I am hungry and thirsty. You touched me and I burned for Your peace.
The emotions I find prompted by walking the path Orthodoxy teaches are complex and
hard to describe: the overwhelming and deliciously terrifying riptide of Gods love; the
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62
rapturous joy of weeping over my sins; the sweet, stinging desire to bring others to see
the beautiful face of Jesus. We are and will be ourselves: redeemed, exulting and charged
with light, fulfilling the task we were created for, destined and appointed to live for the
praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:12).
Appendix 2
Commentary The meaning and spiritual beauty of icons

The word icon is a transliteration of the Greek word eikon and is found throughout the
New Testament, particularly in the letters of the apostle Paul. For example, St. Paul calls
the Lord Jesus the icon of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and the icon of God (2
Corinthians 4:4) While most Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians are familiar with
the biblical theme of Jesus as the Word of God made flesh (John 1:1-14), Orthodox
Christians also celebrate the biblical theme of Jesus as the Icon or Image of God. The
icons found in Orthodox Churches are a celebration of the fact that Jesus Christ is indeed
the Word of God made flesh and that anyone who has seen Jesus has seen the Father
(John 12:45 and 14:8-12). As the 7th Ecumenical Council held in the city of Nicea in 787
AD proclaimed, icons are in color what the Scriptures are in words: witnesses to the
incarnation, the fact that God has come among us as a person whom we can see, touch
and hear. Christianity is, therefore, the revelation not only of the Word of God but also
the Image of God in the face of Christ.

Icons are a uniquely liturgical art form; their most proper setting is the Church. Icons are
meant to inspire prayer. The icon is a door through which we enter Reality. The purpose
of an icon is to take us into the realm of the Spirit. In this sense, the icon is not merely art.
It is a work of Christian witness. It offers us Truth as a vision. An icon is therefore an
image of the invisible, a reflection of the Beyond. It is an expression of spiritual
experience, of mystical life, of worship and surrender. It is a reflection of divine Beauty.
It points us beyond itself and is a window upon eternity, a point at which the present
world intersects with the Kingdom that is to come. Every icon is intended to be a
marriage between the terrestrial and the celestial. And, through this window, not only do
we look from this world into the Kingdom: our gaze is met by the eyes of another who
looks out from the Kingdom and holds us in his or her gaze. To gaze at an icon in the
correct attitude of devotion is to acquire the proper orientation of our vision, thought,
desire and will: the face of God in the face of Christ, the splendor of the Kingdom, the
divine destiny that is the vocation of every living soul. An icon radiates joy and peace.
First and foremost, icons are an expression of the Churchs faith and only secondarily of
the artists talent and abilities as a painter. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware has written:
Because the icon is a part of Tradition, the icon painter is not free to adapt or innovate as
he pleases; for his work must reflect, not his own aesthetic sentiments, but the mind of
the Church. Artistic inspiration is not excluded, but it is exercised within certain
prescribed limits. It is important that an icon painter should be a good artist, but it is even
more important that he should be a sincere Christian, living within the spirit of the
Tradition, preparing himself for his work by means of Confession and Holy
Communion. An icon is dogma and theology in colors. It is a celebration of God's
victory over sin and death.

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63

Appendix 3
The Kissing Part
by Frederica Mathewes-Green
Orthodox eagerness to kiss things and people during the Liturgy probably looks
obsessive. For I must admit, we kiss a lot. We kiss icons, crosses, and Gospel Books; we
kiss the edge of the priest's garment and kiss his hand; we kiss the chalice and kiss each
other. Only practical concerns, I'm sure, deter us from kissing the censer. It reminds me
of being a little girl of three or four, barefoot in my white nightgown, going around at my
parents' party to kiss all of the guests goodnight. I could hear someone chuckling, "She's
a regular kissing bug!" There is exuberance and generosity in the way we Orthodox
scatter kisses around, cherishing the things and people that bear God to us. St. John
Chrysostom makes the charming assertion that, because we receive the holy Eucharist
through our lips, our lips are most blessed, and we honor them by giving kisses.
I first encountered this ancient form of devotion a few years back at the Walters Art
Museum in Baltimore. A selection of ancient Greek icons was on display, well-mounted
and covered with protective glass. On looking closer I could see that the glass sheets over
the icons were covered with many overlapping marks of kisses and lipstick. Viewing
these icons is not like admiring a delicate Renaissance Madonna. Something in their
dignity and startling immediacy demands a more personal response; Orthodox Christians
refer to icons as "windows into heaven." Of all the things a Protestant Christian might
feel in their presence, probably the last response that would occur is kissing them. But for
Orthodox Christians it is the obvious response, the only response that conveys the
tenderness, gratitude, and humility that these mysteries demand. The Walters Museum
must not have entirely approved of these intimate devotions. When they mounted an
exhibition of Russian religious art a few years later, the icons were uncovered but safely
back against the wall, while barriers and electronic alarms kept anyone from coming
within two feet. Patrons behaved themselves accordingly, but I'm sure that many an
Orthodox Christian was, in his heart, leaning against the barriers and smacking forlornly.
How can we honor wood and paint this way? My Mennonite friend Nancy scoffs: "If
Jesus is right there with you in worship, why do you need icons to remind you?" My
husband laughs, "Because we need icons to remind us!" We are like the lover in the old
hit song, who complains that his girl went "leaving just your picture behind/and I've
kissed it a thousand times." It's not the paper photo that he's in love with, but the person it
represents. But because it does represent his love, he cherishes and honors the photo,
wearing it out with kisses. The holy, invisible Lord surrounds us and we grasp for His
elusive presence, kneeling down awestruck with our foreheads to the floor, tasting heaven
on the Eucharistic spoon, laying kisses on His image and each other and most anything
else we can get hold of. An outsider might expect Eastern Orthodoxy to be stuffy,
esoteric, and rigidly ritualistic. But once inside, it turns out to be a box full of kissing
bugs. We feel such gratitude to God for saving us, such awe at His majesty and such joy
in the fellowship of the saints that we respond from the heart. It is not superstition that
requires us to relinquish formal, ritual kisses. We find ourselves in our true home in the
Church, astonished and overjoyed to be welcomed at this glorious feast. Like a child in a
nightgown, secure in her Father's house, we go scattering our kisses with simplicity and
love.
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"If one were to put
all of the world's most precious treasures
on one side of a scale
and the Divine Liturgy on the other,
the scales would tip completely
in favor of the Liturgy.
There is nothing upon the face of the earth
that is holier, higher, grander, more solemn
and more life-giving than the Divine Liturgy."

St. John of Kronstadt
(1829-1908)

The Divine Liturgy: of Our Father Among The Saints

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