Divine Liturgy (Koine Greek:Θεία Λειτουργία,romanized: Theía Leitourgía,pronounced[ˈθi.ali.turˈʝi.a]) orHoly Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for theEucharistic service.
TheEastern Orthodox Churches,Eastern Catholic Churches andEastern Lutheran Churches believe the Divine Liturgy transcends both time and the world.[1] All believers are seen as united in worship in the Kingdom of God along with the departedsaints and theangels of heaven. Everything in the liturgy is seen as symbolic, but not merely so, for it makes present the unseen reality. According to Eastern tradition and belief, the liturgy's roots go back to the adaptation of Jewish liturgy byEarly Christians. The first part, termed the "Liturgy of the Catechumens", includes thereading of scriptures like those in asynagogue, and in some places, also asermon/homily. The second half, the "Liturgy of the Faithful", is based on theLast Supper and the first Eucharistic celebrations by Early Christians. Eastern Christians (and many other branches of Christianity) believe that the Eucharist is the central part of the service in which they participate, as they believe the bread and wine truly become the realBody andBlood of Christ, and that by partaking of it they jointly become the Body of Christ (that is, theChurch).[2][3] Each liturgy has its differences from others, but most are very similar to each other with adaptations based on tradition, purpose, culture and theology.[4][5]
Three Divine Liturgies are in common use in theByzantine Rite:
As well as these, there are two others that are used locally and rarely, theLiturgy of St. James and theLiturgy of Saint Mark.
As numbers in a diocese increased dramatically, the bishop who presides over the Eucharistic assembly appointed presbyters to act as celebrants in the local communities (the parishes). Still, the Church is understood in Eastern Orthodoxy in terms not of the presbyter, but the diocesan bishop. When the latter celebrates the liturgy personally, the service is more complex and festive. To demonstrate unity with the greater Orthodox community, the hierarch commemorates the hierarch he is subordinate to or, if he is head of anautocephalous church, he commemorates all his peers, whose names he reads from adiptych.[6]
The format of Divine Liturgy is fixed, although the specific readings andhymns vary with season and feast.
The Divine Liturgy consists of three interrelated parts; when not in conjunction with vespers, the liturgies of John Chrysostom and Basil the Great are structured thus:
A typical celebration of the Byzantine Liturgy consists of:
This part of the Liturgy is private, performed only by the priest and deacon. It symbolizes the hidden years of Christ's earthly life.
This is the public part of the Liturgy, in which both catechumens and baptized faithful would be in the nave:
- Openingblessing
- The deacon exclaims, "Bless, Master!"
- The priest, raising theGospel Book and making thesign of the cross with it over theAltar, proclaims: "Blessed is the kingdom ofthe Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages", to which the response is "Amen."
When the liturgy is at the usual time (followingmatins or the sixth hour), this order is followed:
- GreatLitany, beginning with the deacon proclaiming, "In peace, let us pray to the Lord", to which the response is "Lord, have mercy."
- FirstAntiphon (often Psalm 102, unless there are Festal antiphons, in which case the refrain is "Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us.")
- Little Litany
- Second Antiphon (often Psalm 145, unless there are Festal antiphons, in which case the refrain is typically "O Son of God who...[characteristic phrase from the Introit]...save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!")
- "Only-Begotten Son"
- Little Litany
- Third Antiphon (often theBeatitudes with Troparia from either theOctoechos or theCanon(s) sung atMatins, unless there are Festal antiphons, in which case the refrain is thetroparion of the feast)
- Small Entrance – procession with the Gospel Book
- Entrance hymn (Introit), made up of two parts:
- "O come let us worship and fall down before Christ", or a Psalm verse on feasts.
- The refrain of the second antiphon, sung as "who art risen from the dead" on Sunday and "who art wondrous in Thy saints" on weekdays with no feast.
But when the liturgy is joined to vespers (onChristmas Eve,Theophany Eve, the feast of theAnnunciation (except when these days fall on Saturday or Sunday (or, in the Annunciation's case, during Easter Week)),Maundy Thursday andHoly Saturday) after the Old Testament readings the Little Litany is said and the liturgy continues from this point:
- Trisagion, the "Thrice-Holy" hymn (or on certain days, another hymn):
- OnChristmas,Theophany,Lazarus Saturday, Holy Saturday,Easter andPentecost (and certain days in their Afterfeasts), we sing "As many as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia!" (Galatians 3:26)
- OnFeasts of the Cross, we sing "We venerate Thy Cross, O Master, and we glorify Thy Resurrection."
- Prokeimenon
- Epistle Reading(s)
- Alleluia, with verses
- Gospel Reading(s)
- A sermon may be given here.
- Litany of Fervent Supplication – "Let us all say with our whole soul and with our whole mind…"
- Litany for the Departed – this is not said on Sundays,Great Feasts or during thePaschal season
- Litany of theCatechumens and Dismissal of the Catechumens
In the early Church, only baptized members who could receive Holy Communion were allowed to attend this portion of the Liturgy. In common contemporary practice, with very few local exceptions (e.g.,Mount Athos), all may stay. However, in some places, catechumens are formally dismissed for further study.
- First Litany of the Faithful
- Second Litany of the Faithful
- Cherubikon chanted as spiritual representatives (oricons) of the angels
- Replaced on Maundy Thursday with "Of Thy Mystical Supper..."
- Replaced on Holy Saturday with "Let all mortal flesh keep silence..."
- Great Entrance – procession taking thechalice anddiskos (paten) from theTable of Oblation to thealtar
- Litany of Completion – "Let us complete our prayer to the Lord"
- The Kiss of Peace
- Symbol of Faith (theNicene Creed)
- Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer)
- Exclamation by the deacon: "Let us stand upright..."
- Blessing by the priest andSursum Corda ("Let us lift up our hearts..." (Greek: "Ἄνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας")
- TheEpinikios Hymnos orSanctus ("Holy, Holy, Holy…")
- The Eucharistic Canon, containing theAnamnesis (memorial of Christ's Incarnation, death, and Resurrection, and theWords of Institution)
- Epiklesis, the calling down of theHoly Spirit upon the Holy Gifts (bread and wine) to change them into the Body and Blood of Christ
- Commemoration of Saints, interrupted by
- TheTheotokion (hymn to theTheotokos), usuallyIt is Truly Meet ([Ἄξιόν ἐστιν) unless it is the Liturgy of St. Basil, when "All of creation rejoices in thee..." is sung, or a feast, Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday, when theIrmos of Ode IX from the Canon at Matins is sung.
- Commemoration the dead in general, and of the living, concluding with of bishop and civil authorities – "Remember, O Lord…"
- Litany of Supplication – "Having called to remembrance all the saints…"
- Lord's Prayer
- Bowing of Heads
- "Holy Things are for the Holy"
- Communion Hymn, during which:
- Cutting the Lamb for the consumption by the clergy
- Communion of the priests and deacons
- Cutting the Lamb and putting the pieces into the chalice for the consumption by the congregation
- Holy Communion of the faithful
- "We have seen the true light" (occasionally replaced with the troparion of the feast)
- "Let our mouths be filled with Thy praise, O Lord…" (occasionally replaced with the troparion of the feast)
- Litany of Thanksgiving
- Prayer behind theAmbon
- Any special services (blessings,memorial services, etc.) are normally said here
- "Blessed be the name of the Lord..." (Psalm 112:2)
- Psalm 33
- Dismissal
- A sermon is given here if it was not given after the Gospel
Almost all texts are chanted throughout the Divine Liturgy, not only hymns but litanies, prayers, creed confession and even readings from the Bible, depending on tradition.In ancient rubrics, and contemporary Greek practice, the sermon, Nicene Creed and the Lord's Prayer are spoken/read, rather than chanted. Slavic traditions chant or sing everything except the sermon.[7]
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"Divine Liturgy" is the normal word for church service in Oriental Orthodoxy. In their own languages, followers of theByzantine Rite apply it to their Eucharistic services but, while in English the same word (as also the word "Mass") is at times used to speak of the corresponding services of theOriental Orthodox Churches, the normal names used in those Churches refers either to the aspect of offering/sacrifice (Qurobo Alohoyo in theSyriac Orthodox Church),Badarak[8] in theArmenian Apostolic Church,Prosfora[9] in theCoptic Orthodox Church) or of sanctifying (Keddase in theEthiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church).[10]
The Oriental Orthodox Churches own a richness of different liturgies, which are named after theanaphora included.[citation needed]
At present, theCoptic Orthodox Church andCoptic Catholic Church have three Liturgies:
The Liturgy of St. Basil is celebrated on most Sundays and contains the shortest anaphora. The Liturgy of St. Gregory is usually used during the feasts of the Church but not exclusively. In addition the clergy performing the liturgy can combine extracts of the Liturgies of St. Cyril and St. Gregory to the more frequently used St. Basil at the discretion of the priest or bishop.
The main liturgy used by the Coptic Church is known as Liturgy of Saint Basil.[11] The termLiturgies of Saint Basil in a Coptic context means not only the sole anaphora with or without the related prayers, but also the general order of theAlexandrine Rite liturgy.[12]
The Egyptian (or Coptic)anaphora of Saint Basil, even if related and using the sameAntiochene (or"West Syrian") structure,[13] represents a different group from theByzantine, West Syrian andArmenian grouping of anaphoras of Saint Basil. The Egyptian version does not derive directly from the latter and has its own peculiarities: its text is more brief, with lessScriptural and allusive enhancements, and it lacks well-definedTrinitarian references,[14]: 113 which are typical of other versions and reflect the theology of theFirst Council of Constantinople of 381.
The structure of theBohairic Coptic version used today in the Coptic Church can be summarized as follows:
The 7th-centurySahidic Coptic version found in 1960[16] shows an earlier and more sober form of the Bohairic text: the manuscript, incomplete in its first part, begins with thePost Sanctus, and is followed by a terseInstitution narrative, by a pithyAnamnesis which simply lists the themes and ends with theoblation. The nextEpiclesis consists only of the prayer to theHoly Spirit to come and manifest the gifts, without any explicit request to change the gifts in the Body and Blood of Christ. The intercessions are shorter and only Mary is named among the saints.[14]: 112
The termLiturgy of Saint Basil may refer also to the wholeEucharistic Liturgy which in the Coptic Church has the following structure:[17][18]
Offertory (orProthesis) is the part of the liturgy in which theSacramental bread (qorban) andwine (abarkah) are chosen and placed on the altar. All these rites are Middle-ages developments.[19]
It begins with the dressing of the priest withvestments and the preparation of the altar, along with prayers of worthiness for the celebrant. At this point is chanted the appropriate hour of theCanonical hours, followed by the washing of the hands with its prayer of worthiness, and by the proclamation of theNicean Creed.
Then takes place the elaborate rite of the choosing of the Lamb: while the congregation sing 41 times theKyrie eleison, the priest checks the wine and chooses among the bread one loaf which will be consecrated (theLamb). The Lamb is cleaned with a napkin and blessed with the priest's thumb wet with wine. Afterwards the priest takes the Lamb in procession around the altar and the deacon follows with the wine and a candle.[11] At the altar, the priest, with appropriate prayers, blesses the Lamb and the wine, places the Lamb on thePaten and pours wine and a few drops of water in thechalice (the chalice is placed on the altar in a wooden box namedark).
The last part of the offertory resembles an anaphora: after a dialogue, the priest blesses the congregation and proclaims a prayer of thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for his support to us, and asking him for a worthy participation to the liturgy. Then comes the prayer of covering said inaudibly by the priest, which has the form of anepiclesis asking God to show his face on the gifts, and to change them in order that the bread and wine may became theBody andBlood of Christ. This text might come from an ancient anaphora or simply be a laterHigh Middle Ages creation.[19] The paten and the ark with the chalice inside are here covered with a veil.
In theLiturgy of the Catechumens the readings from theNew Testament are proclaimed. This portion was in ancient times the beginning of the liturgy, and the only part which could be attended by thecatechumens. It is roughly equivalent to theLiturgy of the Word in the Western Rites.[citation needed]
It begins with aPenitential Rite in which first the priest prays inaudibly to Christ for the forgiveness of sins (The Absolution to the Son) and then all the participants kneel in front of the altar and the celebrant, or the bishop if present, recites a prayer ofabsolution (The Absolution to the Ministers).[citation needed]
The reading from thePauline epistles is preceded by the offering ofincense at the four sides of the altar, at theiconostasis, at the book of theGospel and at the faithfuls in thenave; in the meantime the faithful sing a hymn toMary and a hymn of intercession. The Pauline epistle is followed by a reading from theCatholic epistles and by one from theActs of the Apostles. Another offering of incense is conduced (thePraxis Incense), similar to the Pauline incense except that only the first row of the faithful is incensed. A reading from the CopticSynaxarium can follow.[citation needed]
After these readings, theTrisagion is sung three times, each time with a different reference to theIncarnation,Passion,Resurrection, thus addressing the Trisagion to Christ only. After the Trisagion follows alitany, the recital of aPsalm and the singing of theAlleluia, and finally the proclamation of theGospel from the doors of the sanctuary. Thesermon may follow.
The Liturgy of the Faithful is the core of the Liturgy, where are placed the properEucharistic rites.
It begins with the prayer of the Veil,[19] in which the priest offers the liturgical sacrifice to God. The LongLitanies follows, where all pray for the peace, for the ecclesiastic hierarchy and for the congregation. TheNicean Creed is proclaimed, the priest washes his hands three times and sprinkles water on the congregation reciting the Prayer of Reconciliation which is a prayer of worthiness for all who attend the liturgy. Next is theKiss of peace during which the faithful sing theAspasmos Adam (Rejoice O Mary) hymn.
TheAnaphora is conducted. After the anaphora takes place the consignation,[19] i.e. the moistening of the Lamb with some drops of the consecrated Wine, which is shown for the worship of the faithful. TheFraction of the consecrated Lamb ensues, during which the priest says a prayer which varies according to theCoptic calendar. All of the congregation stands and prays with open hands theLord's Prayer.
To be prepared for partaking of the Eucharist, the faithful bow while the celebrant says in low voice the prayer of submission, then the priest and the participants offer each other a wish of peace and the priest inaudibly prays to theFather for the forgiveness of sins (The Absolution to the Father).
TheElevation is similar to that in theByzantine Rite, with the celebrant who raises the portion of the Lamb engraved with a cross (theispadikon) crying: "The holy things for the holy ones". The priest makes a second consignation and puts gently the ispakidon in the chalice (the commixture),[20] then he recites aloud a confession of faith. The partaking of the Eucharist follows, first the Body of Christ given to the celebrants, to the deacons and to the faithful who approach the sanctuary without shoes and then the Blood of Christ in the same order.Psalm 150 is sung in the meantime. The distribution of the Eucharist ends with a blessing with thePaten.
The dismissal rites include The Prayer of Laying the Hands and the final blessing.
TheSyriac Orthodox Church, theSyriac Catholic Church, theSyriac Maronite Church of Antioch and theSyro-Malankara Catholic Church of theWest Syriac Rite which is developed from theAntiochene Rite use a version of theDivine Liturgy of Saint James which differs substantially from its Byzantine Rite counterpart, most notably in being substantially shorter (it can be completed in under two hours, whereas the historic form of the Byzantine Rite liturgy prior to the revisions of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom took more than four hours), and in that it can be used with more than eighty different anaphoras; the most commonly used are those of Mar Bar Salibi (which is the shortest), and that of St. James, which resembles that of the Byzantine Rite liturgy, and is mandated on certain occasions, such as major feasts, the consecration of churches, and the first liturgies offered by newly ordained priests.[21] Due to the long isolation of theSaint Thomas Christians the rite of theSyro-Malankara Catholic Church shows some differences, so that this rite is called theMalankara Rite.
TheArmenian Apostolic Church and theArmenian Catholic Church have at present a single liturgical structure, called theArmenian Rite, with a single anaphora (theAthanasius-Anaphora)[22] for the liturgy: Holy Patarag or in Western Armenian Holy Badarak, meaning 'sacrifice'. This is in distinction from the other liturgies of the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Coptic, West Syrian, Ethiopic) which have retained multiple anaphora.
This means that the text of the Patarag can be contained in a single, unified liturgical book, the Պատարագամատոյց (Pataragamatooyts, Western ArmenianBadarakamadooyts, meaning 'the offering of sacrifice'). This book contains all of the prayers for the Patarag assigned to the bishop (if celebrating as a bishop), the celebrating priest, the deacon(s), and the people, the last typically led by a choir with accompaniment.
Before the end of the 10th century there were also other liturgical forms, such as the Anaphora ofSt. Basil, the Anaphora ofSt. Gregory the Illuminator and others in use.[23][24][25][26][27][28]
The elements of the Armenian eucharistic liturgy reflect the rich set of influences on Armenian culture. The roots of the liturgy lie in the West Syrian and Byzantine forms, with the influence of the Roman Catholic Mass, the latter having arrived likely during the period of the Fourth Crusade or shortly thereafter.[citation needed]
Among the distinctive practices of the Armenian Patarag is the tradition that on the Sundays of the fast before Easter (the Great Fast) the curtain which hangs down in front of the elevated altar area (Armenian խորանkhoran) is never opened – even for the reading of the Gospel, certain movable parts of the liturgy are omitted, the parts of the liturgy sung by the choir are said or chanted simply without adornment, there is no general confession, and there is no distribution of Communion to the faithful. This practice of fasting from the Communion bread in preparation for Easter may reflect an ancient custom of the church in Jerusalem. A special prayer of repentance is sung by the clergy on the morning of Palm Sunday (Armenian: Ծաղկազարդtsaghkazard, Western Armeniandzaghgazard), after which the curtain is opened for the first time since the last Sunday before the Great Fast.[citation needed]
One element which almost certainly derives from the influence of Western liturgy is the reading of a last Gospel at the conclusion of the Patarag. However, the celebration of a short memorial service for one or more departed persons (Հոգեհանգիստhogehangist, Western Armenianhokehankist, meaning 'rest of the spirit') is quite prevalent in parishes and replaces the reading of the last Gospel.[citation needed]
The following description of the celebration of Mass, usually in the localvernacular language, is limited to the form of the Roman Rite promulgated after theSecond Vatican Council (1962–1965) byPope Paul VI in 1969 and revised byPope John Paul II in 2002, largely replacing the usage of theTridentine Mass form originally promulgated in 1570 in accordance with decrees of theCouncil of Trent in its closing session (1545–46). The 1962 form of the Tridentine Mass, in theLatin language alone, may be employed where authorized by theHoly See or, in the circumstances indicated in the 2021 documentTraditionis custodes,[29] by the diocesan bishop.
In the modern form the priest usually (though not obligatorily) faces the people (versus populum); in the earlier form the priest most often (but again, not obligatorily) faces in the apse of the church, a stance that since the twentieth century is often calledad orientem, although not necessarily eastward.
As mentioned, the Eucharistic liturgy is celebrated in the Catholic Church also in otherLatin liturgical rites and in those of theEastern Catholic Churches.
TheCatechism of the Catholic Church discusses the importance of the Mass in the Catholic tradition under the headings:
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...the Mass is retained among us, and celebrated with the highest reverence. We do not abolish the Mass but religiously keep and defend it. [...] We keep the traditional liturgical form. [...] In our churches Mass is celebrated every Sunday and on other holy days, when the sacrament is offered to those who wish for it after they have been examined and absolved (Article XXIV).
Lutheran churches often celebrate the Eucharist eachSunday (Lord's Day) in the Mass. This aligns with theLutheran Confessions, as with the views promulgated byMartin Luther.[31]Eucharistic Ministers take the sacramental elements to the sick in hospitals and nursing homes, as well as prisons. The practice of weekly Communion is the norm in most Lutheran parishes throughout the world. The bishops and priests (pastors) of the larger Lutheran bodies have strongly encouraged the practice of weekly Mass, and daily Mass is offered in some Lutheran churches, as well as at Lutheranconvents andmonasteries, such asÖstanbäck Monastery and Saint Augustine's House.[32][33][34]
Traditionally, in the Lutheran Churches, the Mass is celebratedad orientem, being "oriented to the East from which the Sun of Righteousness will return".[35] Though some parishes now celebrate the Massversus populum, the traditional liturgical posture ofad orientem is retained by many Lutheran churches.[36]Holy Qurbana is the Eucharistic celebration in theEdessan Rite. TheAssyrian Church of the East, theAncient Church of the East and their larger Catholic counterparts, theChaldean Catholic Church and theSyro-Malabar Church, which use the Edessan Rite that they all inherit from theChurch of the East, employ one or more of three different Eucharisticanaphorae when celebrating Holy Qurbana:
Lutherans and Orthodox take the Lord's words "this is my body; this is my blood" (Mt 26,27f, par.) literally. They believe that in the Eucharist the bread and wine become Christ's body and blood to be consumed by the communicants. How this happens is regarded by both as a profound and real mystery.
It is important to note at this point that there is major agreement among Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, the Reformed, that Christ is truly present in the Lord's Supper. They all go beyond the view of the Supper as a bare sign or memorial ... The debate among Catholics, Lutherans, and Reformed people is one that focuses on the mode of Christ's presence in the Lord's Supper. At the bottom, this debate is not so much sacramental as it is christological.
Following the Benedictine Rule, seven separate liturgical offices plus the Eucharist are observed each day.
