Understanding the Divine Liturgy

1. Celebrating: The Year of the Holy Eucharist Understanding the Divine Liturgy Session #4 The Liturgy of the Faithful A study based on the books: “The Heavenly Banquet,” by Fr. Emmanuel Hatzidakis “The Orthodox Faith vol. II (Worship)” by Fr. Thomas Hopko “Understanding The Orthodox Liturgy” by Fr. Michel Najim & T.L. Frazier

2. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Introduction” • The Liturgy of the Faithful consists of three parts: • 1. The Preparation (Including the procession of the Holy Gifts) • 2. The Offering or “Anaphora” Prayer (Including the consecration of the Holy Gifts) • 3. Holy Communion and the Dismissal • This part of the Liturgy was originally intended only for those who were already baptized. • Those who were preparing to be baptized were ask to leave at this point in the Liturgy. • 1.The priest would pray for them and they would depart and go receive instruction in the Christian faith. • 2. After the 7th century, the need for a formal dismissal dwindled, because there were few catechumens. • 3. Today, the prayer for the catechumens and the dismissal is usually read silently by the priest or skipped altogether. • The focus of this part is to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ (To receive communion.)

3. The Liturgy of the Faithful“Preparation and Procession” • After the prayer and call for the Catechumens to leave… • the “Liturgy of the Faithful” begins. • The priest recites two prayers for those who are already members of the church (silently). • a. Giving thanks to God and asking God to keep him worthy to offer the gifts to be sacrifice. • b. Asking for God’s mercy and for Him to cleanse his soul and body from all defilement of sin. • c. Asking on behalf of everyone for God to grant them: • -Growth in life -Spiritual understanding -Worthiness to serve in fear and love • -Worthiness to partake of the Holy Mysteries without condemnation. • -And that they will be accounted worthy of God’s Heavenly Kingdom. • d. The priest concludes the prayers by saying out loud…. “Help us; save us; have mercy on us; and keep us by His grace. Wisdom: That guarded always by Your might we ascribe glory to You, to the Father, and to the Son, and to Holy Spirit.”

4. The Liturgy of the Faithful“Preparation and Procession” While the priest prays, the people sing the “CherubicHymn” “We who mystically represent the Cherubim, and sing to the life-giving Trinity the thrice-holy hymn, let us now lay aside all earthly care, that we may receive the King of all, who comes invisibly borne up by the angelic hosts. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.” • The Meaning of the Hymn • This Hymn marks the transition from Christ’s teaching mission to the events that led to His great sacrifice on the cross. • This hymn reminds us of why we come to church. • a. This hymn implores us to lay aside all earthly care so we can concentrate on receiving Christ. (At Communion). • b.Just as the angels in Heaven (the Cherubim) are singing and surrounding Christ’s throne, we too, have come to church to meet Christ at His Heavenly Throne (the altar).

5. The Liturgy of the Faithful“Preparation and Procession” During the cherubic hymn, the priest unfolds the “antimins.” • The Antimins (or Antiminsion) is a rectangular cloth on which are printed: • 2. The word Antiminsion literally means: “In place of a table.” -Christ in the tomb with the Holy Trinity. -The Cross and Resurrection. (under the cross is a relic). -The four Evangelists. -The signature of the Bishop “Where the bishop is present, there let the congregation gather, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” (St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Church of Smyrna) • The Purpose of the Antimins • It signifies the organic link of each parish community to its bishop. • It’s given to the priest and the parish as authorization to perform the sacrament of the Eucharist. • It reminds us that the Church of Christ is not confined to any particular building, city, or place. • The Church is like a ship whose anchor is in Heaven.

6. The Liturgy of the Faithful“Preparation and Procession” The priest then censes the altar, icons, and the people…” ….reciting “Psalm 51” Why Psalm 51? 1. Because it is a penitential prayer. (It prepares us) 2. It is said by the priest on behalf of himself and the people as a repentanceof sins before entering into the “Mystical Supper.” The priest then says the following (pre-Lenten) penitential troparia (hymns): “Like the prodigal son, I have sinned against thee, O Saviour. Receive me as I repent, O Father, and have mercy on me, O God.” “With the voice of the publican I cry unto thee, O Christ my Saviour. Take pity on me as thou hast on him , and have mercy on me, O God.” Then the priest asks the faithful for forgiveness “Forgive me, brother and concelebrants.” “Forgive me brothers and sisters in Christ.”

7. The Liturgy of the Faithful“The Great Entrance” What it used to look like What it represented Prothesis Table Altar Table However…

8. The Liturgy of the Faithful“The Great Entrance” What it looks like now What it represents • A reenactment of the passion of Christ. • The deacons represent the angels who accompanied Christ on His way to the crucifixion. • The placing of the gifts on the altar is Christ being placed in the tomb. • The “aer” (or veil) covering the gifts represents the shroud that Christ’s body was wrapped in, or the stone which Joseph placed over the entrance of Christ’stomb. • The entire congregation is seen as literally being icons of the angels. • Christ’s decent into hades, and His • victorious entrance into His Kingdom. • The gifts carried by the priest represent all of us being carried into the presence of God. (They are from us and for us.) • AND… Prothesis Table Altar Table

9. The Liturgy of the Faithful“The Great Entrance” …Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Every Sunday reminds us of Palm Sunday Summary of the Great Entrance • The Great Entrance reminds us that Christ is the offerer and the offered, the receiver and the received. • If our life is in Christ then our life in the Church and in the world is also an offering and sacrifice to God. • A sacrifice is the natural act of love, which is the gift of oneself and self-denial for the other. • Therefore we are called to bring ourselves and our whole life to this sacrifice with Christ, because in Him we find peace.