THE DIVINE LITURGIES |
"Holy, Holy, Holy the Lord of Sabaoth..." which is sung prior to the Consecration |
Four liturgies are celebrated in the Byzantine Rite:
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1.The Preparation begins with the priest saying the Prayers of Intention, donning the liturgical vestments, and proceeding to the prothesis. Here, he uses the lance to cut up the prosfora (altar bread) and places them particles on the diskos in a specific arrangement that commemorates: the Lamb of God (Jesus), the Mother of God, Saints of the Old and New Testaments, the clergy, the living and the dead. The priest also prepares the chalice by pouring the wine and adding a few drops of water into it. The asterisk is then opened, placed over the paten, and the chalice and paten with their own veils. Finally both are covered with a larger veil called the aer. The Preparation is symbolic of the birth of Christ and His hidden life before He began to teach publicly. |
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2. The Liturgy of the Word begins with the priest approaching the Holy Table, opening the royal doors, (at which point the congregation stands), incensing, raising the Book of Gospels and saying "Blessed be the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever." This portion of the Liturgy consists of ektenias (litanies), prayers, hymns, psalms, the Little Entrance, tropars, kondaks, an Epistle reading, a Gospel reading, a homily, and another ektenia to prepare the faithful for the Liturgy of the Sacrifice.
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3. The Liturgy of the Sacrifice is the main part of the Divine Liturgy and begins with the Cherubic Hymn, the Great Entrance, ektenias, the recitation of the Nicene Creed, the Consecration of the Holy Gifts, the reception of Communion, thanksgiving, and dismissal. |