The Divine Liturgy

In the latter part of the 10th century, Vladimir (Prince of Kiev) sent envoys to various Christian centers to study their form of worship. These are the words they spoke when they returned from the celebration of the Eucharist in the Great Church of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople:

We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere on earth. We cannot describe it to you; we only know that God dwells there among men and that their Service surpasses the worship of all other places ...

The profound experience expressed by the Russian envoys has been one shared by many who have witnessed for the first time the beautiful and inspiring Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church.

Man uses various means in his effort to draw nearer to God, such as prayer, the study of the Holy Bible and offerings, but his attendance and participation in the Divine Liturgy is the unique way of uniting God's Divinity with man's humanity.

From the time of the Apostles to the present day, the Orthodox Church has celebrated the Divine Liturgy and will continue to do so until the consummation of the world.

Private Prayer

Private prayer is a form of communication between God and humankind. It is a conversation, a dialogue between you and your Creator. You reveal your inner most secrets, requests, needs and problems to God. And God reveals His will to your mind. You acknowledge your faults and shortcomings with the assurance that He is a merciful God. In return, you experience the satisfaction of forgiveness. At times, your prayers are words of gratitude and glorification to God for His benevolence to you. Regardless what type of prayer you offer, when it pertains to you personally it is a private prayer. This is a worthwhile and beneficial effort, and it must be pursued.

Public Prayer

However, a private prayer cannot satisfy our spiritual needs unless it is intimately connected with our public prayers. Public prayer or worship is offered by the Church, a group of people that proclaims the same beliefs and makes the same requests to God.

"In God we live and move and have our existence," St. Paul preached to the Athenians. Since we share "every good and perfect gift that comes from above," we render a common thanks and glory to the Giver God. Our common needs, aspirations and realizations of God's benevolence are united with our prayer, and as one family we acknowledge God as our Father.

The culmination of the public prayer is the Divine Liturgy. In fact, the Divine Liturgy is the chief act of Greek Orthodox public worship. It is a public service of approximately two hours that is a worshiping testimony of the Revelation of God. It unfolds before the worshipers the essence of the theology, the mystical existential character, and the devotional traditions of Greek Orthodoxy.

Dionysios the Areopagite writes:

How else can we imitate God if we do not repeat His divine life through the mystagogy of the Liturgy? The Lord ordained that the mystery of the Divine Liturgy should be constantly performed in order that we humans, however imperfect, should unite with a perfect God. As cells are united and make up the human body so the faithful are united as cells upon the body of God and partake of His holy life otherwise, we become dead organisms, foreign to a healthy and living God.

In the Divine Liturgy the divine and the human, time and eternity, the now and the remote, spiritual longings and earthly desires, cries of distress and exclamations of joy, and several other contrasts and antinomies are united into an organism of harmony and real life.

The Meaning of the Word Liturgy

Before the early days of the Church, the word Liturgy implied a service for the people which pertained to philanthropy. In the Old Testament it means prayer or worship offered by the priests of the Mosaic Law. During the Christian era the word Liturgy came to signify the performance of Holy Communion.

In the Orthodox Church, the Eucharist is also known as the Divine Liturgy. The word liturgy means people's work; this description serves to emphasize the corporate character of the Eucharist. When an Orthodox attends the Divine Liturgy, it is not as an isolated person who comes simply to hear a sermon. Rather, he comes as a member of the Community of Faith who participates in the very purpose of the Church, which is the Worship of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, the Eucharist is truly the center of the life of the Church and the principal means of spiritual development, both for the individual Christian and the Church as a whole. Not only does the Eucharist embody and express the Christian faith in a unique way, but it also enhances and deepens our faith in the Trinity. This sacrament-mystery is the experience toward which all the other activities of the Church are directed and from which they receive their direction.

The Divine Liturgy is the most perfect form of worship. It is a reenactment of the Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ interwoven with common prayer, the study of scriptures and public communication with God. It is also a sacred mystical action between God and man.

Origin and Development of The Divine Liturgy

As it is celebrated today, the Divine Liturgy is a product of historical development.

The fundamental core of the Divine Liturgy dates from the time of Christ and the Apostles. In fact, the Divine Liturgy originated with the Last Supper at which Christ instructed His disciples to offer bread and wine in His memory. The Apostles, obedient to the Lord's command, "Do this in remembrance of Me," observed it very regularly.

Saint Paul gives a description of this service in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 23 and 24. Before the Gospels were written, Sacred Tradition provided the basis, the authority and the method for the observance of the Liturgy.

To this, words, phrases, prayers, hymns and gestures have been added throughout the centuries. Some came from the Old Testament, some from the New, and still others from Sacred Tradition. More prayers and supplications were added to the original Liturgy as time went on.

However, since the beginning of the fourth century, when St. John Chrysostom compiled the present form of the Liturgy, we have had no substantial variations. Throughout the centuries the Divine Liturgy has preserved its original features:

1. It is a Remembrance of the Life, the Crucifixtion, the Resurrection and the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. It is a Sacrifice: "This is my body which is broken for you... This is my blood, which is shed for you and for many others... for the remission of sins." Unlike the primitive forms of sacrifice, this service is the perfect sacrifice offered by the Only Begotten Son of God.
3. It is a Communion: "Take, eat, this is my body... Drink of it all ye, this is my blood..." Worthily approaching the Holy Cup we receive Christ in our hearts. Rather, we should say, we are received by Christ. We receive forgiveness of our sins and we recon-cile ourselves with God.
4. It is a Eucharist: Because the Divine Master offered an Eucharistia, a thanksgiving, to God the Father, before He instituded the Sacrament. Whenever we receive the Holy Communion, gratefully we recall the love of Him Who died for us. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15, 13.

There are three forms of the Divine Liturgy, presently in use in the Orthodox Church.

1. The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, which is the most frequently celebrated.
2. The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, which is celebrated only ten times a year.
3. The Liturgy of St. James (Celebrated on Oct. 23, the feastday of the Saint).

While they did not compose the entire liturgy which bears their names, it is probable that they did author many of the prayers. The structure and basic elements of the three liturgies are similar, although there are differences in some hymns and prayers.

The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrystostom is the normal Sunday worship of the Orthodox Church. St. John Chrystostom (349-407) was Archbishop of Constantinople and a renowned preacher and spiritual father. This liturgy was adapted from the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great

In addition to these Liturgies, there is also the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts. This is not truly a eucharistic liturgy but rather an evening Vesper Service followed by the distribution of Holy Communion reserved from the previous Sunday. This liturgy is celebrated only on weekday mornings or evenings during Lent, and on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week, when the full Eucharist is not permitted because of its Resurrection spirit. The Eucharist expresses the deep joy which is so central to the Gospel.

The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrystostom

The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrystostom is a reenactment of the complete life of our Lord and focuses on His Sacrifice for our personal salvation. It is a live and vivid Drama except that there are no spectators. Everyone is a participant, with the Priest as the representative of the Lord and the chief Celebrant. Therefore, we should never come to Church solely to view, but rather to actively participate in every movement and expression of the Divine Liturgy. The Liturgy is our communal Act of Worship. Each Christian has the unique privilege and opportunity to bring the offering of the bread and wine, which in the Liturgy is transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of our Saviour.

This religous Drama is divided into three acts:

1. The Offertory, or "Proskomidi"
2. The "Liturgy of the Catechumens"
3. The "Liturgy of the Faithful"

The Offertory

The meaning of the Offertory prayers is the redeeming plan of God which became manifest through the prophets and reached its climax in the person of Christ.

The priest prepares himself with prayer and then precedes to vest himself. The vestments express his priestly ministry as well as his office. Next, the priest goes to the Proskomide Table which is on the left side of the Altar Table in the Sanctuary. There, he prepares the offering of bread and wine for the Liturgy. Ideally, the leavened loaves of bread, and the wine from which the offering is taken, are prepared by members of the congregation. The elements are presented to the priest before the service, together with the names of those persons, living and dead, who are to be remembered during the Divine Liturgy. The offering symbolically represents the entire Church gathered about Christ, the Lamb of God. The priest recites several prayers and verses from the Psalms and the Book of Isaiah, which describe Christ as the lamb who was led to the slaughter for the redemption of the world (Isaiah 53:6-8).

One of the significant scenes of this First Act is the commemoration of the saints of both the Old and the New Testaments. All the elect of God are gathered together into the bosom of the Church. The Church in heaven, or Church triumphant, and the Church on earth, or Church militant, are united into a living and inseparable organism of God. The angelic powers, the Old Testament prophets and patriarchs, the Mother of Jesus, the Apostles, martyrs, Fathers, and saints of the Christian Church are invoked for their brethren on earth. The commemoration of the believers, dead or alive, constitutes another section of the Offertory.

The "Liturgy of the Catechumens"

The Second Act is rather instructive for members and future members of the Church. The petitions and doxologies culminate in the reading of the Scriptures, the sermon, and several prayers for the catechumens.

The "Liturgy of the Catechumens" begins with the solemn declaration: "Blessed be the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit now and for ever more." With these words we are reminded that in the Divine Liturgy the Church becomes a real manifestation of God's Kingdom on earth.

Since this part of the Divine Liturgy was designed originally for the Catechumens, those being schooled in the faith, it had a very instructive quality. The Eucharist also has elements which are in common with other Services. We gather as Christians who share a common faith in the Holy Trinity. We sing and pray as a people united in Christ, who are not bound by time, space, or social barriers.

The Little Entrance is the central action of this part of the Divine Liturgy. A procession takes place in which the priest carries the Book of Gospels from the sanctuary into the nave. The procession directs our attention to the Scripture and to the presence of Christ in the Gospel. The entrance leads to the Epistle lesson, the Gospel, and the Sermon.

The "Liturgy of the Faithful"

The Third Act, however, is the most important of the Divine Liturgy. In the early Church, only those who were baptized and not in a state of sin were permitted to remain for this most solemn part of the Liturgy.

With the Great Entrance marking the beginning of this part of the Liturgy, the offering of bread and wine is brought by the priest from the Preparation Table, through the nave, and to the Altar Table. These are moving moments while the choir sings, "We who mystically represent the Cherubim, sing the thrice-holy Hymn to the lifegiving Trinity. Therefore, let us put away all worldly care, so that we may welcome the King of all." The faithful are urged to intensify their participation in the Divine play. Before the offering can proceed, however, we are called upon to love one another so that we may perfectly confess our faith.

As the centurion confessed the deity of Christ, likewise the faithful confess their faith by reciting the Creed. They proclaim their faith in God, the Father Almighty, in the one Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit, in the Church of God and her holy Mysteries. While much of the Liturgy is mystical and sacramental, the recitation of the creed is the doctrinal confession of the faithful. The Creed is an essential part of Greek Orthodox worship as are important other symbols and movements in the Church.

The symbolic acts in general fulfill the vacuum which is created because of the lack of words and movements or because terms and expressions are inadequate in some stages and developments of the evolution of the Liturgy. The Creed as a symbol and confessional narration bridges two important stages of the liturgical drama. It is therefore both a symbol properly so called and a confession of the essentials of the historic faith.

Only now can we properly offer our gifts of bread and wine to the Father as our Lord directed us to do in His memory. This offering is one of great joy, for through it we remember the mighty actions of God through which we have received the gift of salvation, and especially the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. We invoke the Holy Spirit upon ourselves and upon our offering, asking the Father that they become for us the Body and Blood of Christ. Through our thanking and remembering the Holy Spirit reveals the presence of the Risen Christ in our midst.

The priest comes from the altar with the Holy Gifts, inviting the congregation to draw near with reverence of God, with faith, and with love." Our sharing in the Eucharist Gifts not only expresses our fellowship with one another, but also our unity with the Father in His Kingdom. Individuals approach the Holy Gifts and receive the Eucharistic bread and wine from the common chalice. The priest distributes the Holy Gifts by means of a communion spoon. Since the Holy Communion is an expression of our Faith, reception of the Holy Gifts is open only to those who are baptized, chrismated, and practicing members of the Orthodox Church.

The bloodless sacrifice, the invocation, and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of the Last Supper is an act in which one must participate if he is to understand its impact and effect. The heavens descend and the earth is elevated for a mystical union. The earthly and material are transubstantiated into Godly elements, the body and blood of Christ. Christ was crucified, thus giving Himself for the redemption of everyone; He takes the place of each condemned individual to release him and set him free from bondage and make him an adopted son of God. Christ gives Himself, and man partakes of His offer, in the form of bread and wine, already transubstantiated into the living Christ. It is through this participation, through Holy Communion, that man is lifted to heaven, or that heaven and earth, the supernatural and the natural, the spiritual and the material, are unified into a real communion and consummation.

The epilogue of the Divine Liturgy depicts the ascension of the Lord and proclaims the eschatological expectations of the Church. Christ will come once again to consummate the invisible and the visible, the divine and the human into an eternal cosmos of beauty, happiness, and life. Indeed, the ultimate purpose of the Divine Liturgy is to accomplish an intimate communion of man with God in Jesus Christ, to enrich man with God's Grace, to regenerate and make the human a new creation.

The Divine Liturgy comes to an end with a prayer of Thanksgiving and the Benediction. At the conclusion of the Eucharist, the congregation comes forward to receive a portion of the liturgical bread which was not used for the offering.

Easter Sunday Resurrection Service

If one is to appreciate the Divine Liturgy from the beginning to the end, one is advised to attend the Resurrection Service of Easter Sunday. This service is both darkness and light, defeat and victory, lamentation and triumph. It is, however, darkness, defeat, and lamentation for a few minutes only. The Church is draped in black. Everything is reminiscent of death, the death of Christ. The Lord is laid in His tomb and His followers are plunged into fear and despair. At midnight, amid total darkness in the Church, while the cantors sing a lamentation describing a fruitless search for the body of Christ by Mary Magdalene and the other women, the priest comes forward with a lighted candle, singing, "0 ye faithful, come forward and receive light from the light that never wanes." He proceeds singing the melodic hymn, "Christ is Risen" (Christos Anasti), in which the congregation joins in the joyful announcement of the triumph of Christ over death. The Church assumes a new color. Joy, hope, love, and eternity are the panegyric message of Easter Sunday and of every Sunday.

Conclusion

Throughout the centuries, Christians have seen many dimensions in the Eucharist. The various titles which have come to describe the rite bear witness to the richness of its meaning. The Eucharist has been known as the Holy offering, the Holy Mysteries, the Mystic Supper, and the Holy Communion. The Orthodox Church recognizes the many facets of the Eucharist and wisely refuses to over-emphasize one element to the detriment of the others. In so doing, Orthodoxy has clearly avoided reducing the Eucharist to a simple memorial of the Last Supper which is only occasionally observed. Following the teachings of both Scripture and Tradition, the Orthodox Church believes that Christ is truly present with His people in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharistic gifts of bread and wine become for us His Body and His Blood. We affirm that these Holy Gifts are transfigured into the first fruits of the New Creation in which ultimately God will be "all in all".