Understanding the Divine Liturgy Celebrating: The Year of the Holy Eucharist Understanding the Divine Liturgy Session #3 The Liturgy of the Word (Blessed is the Kingdom…) 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

The Liturgy of the Word “Introduction” http://www.youtube.com/revnasr The Divine Liturgy consists of two parts: 1. The Liturgy of the Word (Concluding with the gospel reading) 2. The Liturgy of the Faithful (Concluding with the Eucharist) The “Liturgy of the Word” or “Liturgy of the Catechumens” is the first part of the Divine Liturgy and consists of three parts. 1. The opening blessing and litany of peace 2. The antiphon prayers, small entrance, apolytikia and trisagion prayer 3. Scripture readings, homily, and litanies (usually skipped) The focus of this first part is the word of God (The Gospel) It is also referred to as the “Synaxis.” (Which means gathering, assembly, or coming together.) The Liturgy of the Word can be viewed as a preparation for the Liturgy of the Faithful. 1. The word of God purifies us and prepares us for receiving Christ’s body and blood. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (John 15:3) It’s purpose is to feed us spiritually and unite us to the word of God.

What does it means to “bless the Kingdom of God”? The Liturgy Begins The first words we hear when the Liturgy begins are…. “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.” 1. These words reveal the goal of the entire celebration of the Divine Liturgy: “To unite the Kingdom of God to the world by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.” 2. These words remind us that the Kingdom of God IS life in union with the Blessed Trinity. These words also remind us that as Christians, it is our calling to be God’s presence in the world. What does it means to “bless the Kingdom of God”? It means to love it as one's most precious possession. It is the official confirmation that this Kingdom is indeed the "pearl of great price" for the faithful, which once having found it, they will love it and serve it and desire to have it forever (Matt. 13:44-46)). Only the Divine Liturgy and the other sacraments and services of the Church which were originally integrated into the eucharistic celebration, such as baptism, chrismation and marriage, begin with the solemn blessing of the Kingdom of God.

The Great Litany After the opening proclamation, the Great Litany or “Litany of Peace” is chanted. History of the Litany prayers: They originated in Antioch in the fourth century, and later spread to Constantinople and the rest of the East. They were the public prayer of the Faithful led by the deacon to express devotion, petitions, and thanksgiving. What is the Great Litany: It is included in every liturgical service of the Orthodox Church. (As well as virtually all sacraments and special services.) It is the all-embracing prayer of the Church for everyone and everything. (Here, the church recognizes and addresses all the needs of human beings.) It consists of twelve petitions to which the people respond: Lord have mercy. a. Three for Peace, called “The Peace Petitions” (This is why it is called the “Litany of Peace”) b. One for the Church c. One for Bishops and Clergy d. One for the president and public officials, including the armed forces e. One for the City where we live f. One for good weather and for abundant crops g. One for travelers, the sick, and the suffering e. Then we remember the Theotokos and all the Saints and commend ourselves and all our life unto Christ our God.

The Antiphons After the Great Litany, three refrains of the antiphons are sung. What is an antiphon? The word “antiphon” (from the Greek word “antiphoneo”) means: “I Respond” Antiphons were not added to the Liturgy until the 7th or 8th century. Antiphons are psalms that were chanted by the faithful “antiphanally” (Alternatively) Typically these psalms were: Psalm 102 & Psalm 145 The antiphons would be followed by a refrain from the people 1st Refrain: “Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.” 2nd Refrain: “Save us O Son of God, who art risen from the dead, who sing to Thee, Alleluia.” followed by a hymn written by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th cent. (“Only-begotten Son…”) Between the psalms, the deacon would chant two sets of brief petitions. (called the small litany), while the priest prays silently.

The Antiphons Continued 2. What do we see & hear today? After the Great Litany the deacon stands before the icon of Christ and then moves to the icon of the Theotokos. In the Antiochian tradition, only the refrains are sung by the people. The priest (or deacon) intones the small litanies between the refrains. During the refrains, the priest prays for the faithful: “ For all the people and for this holy house, that God will pour forth upon them rich mercy and tender compassion.” (Prayer of the 1st Antiphon) “For the whole body of the Church; that God will sanctify those who love the beauty of the holy house; and that God will glorify them and not forsake them.” (Prayer of the 2nd Antiphon) The Justinian hymn (following the 2nd refrain) is sometimes referred to as “The Short Creed,” because it expresses the great mystery of the Christian faith.

The Small Entrance: “The Way of the Kingdom” Altar During the singing of the third antiphon (the Troparion of the day), the priest prays silently: “Asking that God grant the private requests of the faithful, according to His will; and that He grant us all the knowledge of His truth and in the world to come…eternal life.” 2. The Small Entrance is made with the Gospel. (see graph) Deacon: “Bless Master the Holy Entrance.” Priest: “Blessed is the entrance to Thy Holy Place, always now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. The clergy enter the Altar through the Royal Doors. The Gospel (which represents Christ (The word of God) is placed on the Altar table (The throne of God). Nave The Meaning of the Small Entrance This action was originally a part of the entrance of the clergy and the people into the church. (That’s why the priest says: “Blessed is the entrance to Thy Holy Place….” The movement of the small entrance with the Gospel signifies the entrance of the Son of God into this world & His ascension into the Kingdom of Heaven. (The Altar)

The Trisagion Prayer The Trisagion Prayer Standing before the altar table, the priest and the people sing the troparia and kontakia of the day. [These are hymns which praise the saving events or holy persons celebrated liturgically at the particular gathering. On Sundays these songs always praise Christ's resurrection from the dead.] The Trisagion Prayer Then, the people sing the The Trisagion Hymn or “Thrice-Holy Hymn” [This is the hymn sung by the Angels in Heaven, and handed down to us from them.] This Heavenly hymn was revealed to both the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:3) and the Apostle John (Rev. 4:8) The Trisagion Hymn reminds us that we are worshipping along with the Angels in Heaven.

The Epistle Reading After the Trisagion Hymn, the Epistle is read. The word epistle means letter. The only book of the new Testament writings which is not read liturgically in the Orthodox Church is the Book of Revelation, because of its apocalyptic character. Before the actual reading of the epistle, an appointed verse called the prokeimenon is sung. [Prokeimenon means, "that which goes before." It prepares the people to listen to the Word of God.]

The Gospel Reading A reading from one or more of the four Christian Gospels follows the reading of the epistle. The word Gospel means: “The Good News!” The Gospel is God's glad tidings of salvation, his official good news to mankind. It contains and proclaims his presence and his power among men. The Gospel reading is a form of man's communion with God. It is union with God. There are prescribed readings from the Gospels for each liturgical day of the year, as well as special readings for particular Church celebrations. (Same with the epistle readings)

The Sermon Following the words of the Holy Gospel, a liturgical sermon or homily is preached. The Purpose of the sermon: To proclaim and explain the significance of the Divine Word for the life of the People of God and for the destiny of the world. In the Orthodox Tradition, the sermon is an essential part of the eucharistic liturgy and participates in its general sacramental character.