How long is the church service? How many times does the Easter procession take place? Is the Liturgy included in the daily circle of worship?

Article announcements

Consecration of the apartment

When entering a new apartment or house after renovation, we notice that it is somehow not comfortable, not inhabited. Outwardly, everything is fine: there is an electrician, gas, water, the repair seems to be not bad, but still, something is not right.

Help the Temple

How to behave at the liturgy

The liturgy is not an ordinary divine service, but a sacrament, that is, such a sacred action in which the faithful are given the grace of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies them.

At this special divine service, prayers and hymns are offered to God, and the mysterious Bloodless Sacrifice is offered for the salvation of people. Under the guise of bread and wine, the Orthodox are taught the true Body and true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the liturgy takes precedence over other services.

At the Divine Liturgy, or Eucharist, the whole earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ is remembered.

Conventionally, the liturgy is divided into three parts: the proskomedia, the liturgy of the catechumens and the liturgy of the faithful.

Proskomedia

Proskomidia is usually performed during or before the reading of the 3rd and 6th hours.

The living and deceased members of the Church are commemorated at the proskomedia. People who order proskomedia pass to the altar notes with names and prosphora purchased in a church shop. The priest pulls out particles from the prosphora and commemorates the health or repose of those served. Only the names of baptized people who take communion can be submitted for proskomidia.

Great joy comes to the souls of the departed from their commemoration at the proskomedia.

At the end of the proskomedia, the priest censes the entire church. At this time, the reader finishes reading the clock. The liturgy of the catechumens begins.

Liturgy of the catechumens

Catechumens are people who have not received the sacrament of baptism, that is, not baptized or who are under a priestly ban, penance.

1. The Liturgy of the catechumens begins with the words: "Blessed is the Kingdom, always, now and ever, and forever and ever." The choir sings: "Amen". We overshadow ourselves with the sign of the cross.

2. The great litany begins. Litany- these are special petitions uttered by the clergyman, to which the choir responds with singing: "Lord have mercy" . It is necessary to be baptized at each pronounced petition of the litany.

3. At the end of the litany, the choir begins to sing the so-called pictorial antiphons. There are only three of them, in honor of the Holy Trinity. They are sung in succession and are divided among themselves by small litanies.

4. After the second figurative antiphon, the choir sings a song to the Lord Jesus Christ: "Only Begotten Son..." , in which we hear about the incarnation of God into man in order to deliver people from sin.

5. Small litany - we are baptized at every petition.

6. And the third antiphon is sung, which begins with the words of the thief crucified with the Lord on the cross: “In Your Kingdom, remember us, Lord…” . You need to listen carefully to this song. It has a deep meaning. After all, we remember that Jesus Christ said to this thief: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” . The third antiphon is some commandments, obeying which a person will come to the Kingdom of Heaven.

7. During the singing of the third antiphon, a small entrance is made. The clergy leave the altar carrying a candle, a censer and the Gospel. This action symbolizes the procession of the Lord with a host of angels.

8. After entering, troparia and kontakia are sung, which reflect the sacred events of the holiday. We are baptized at every song.

At this time, the priest in secret prayer asks the Heavenly Father to accept the Trisagion and forgive our sins, voluntary and involuntary.

10. Next comes the reading of the Apostle. This is a book that contains the acts and messages of the holy apostles to various peoples. During the reading of the Apostle, the deacon censes, his censing should be answered with a bow of the head.

11. After reading the Apostle, the choir sings "Alleluia" thrice. We are baptized three times with bows.

12. The priest proclaims: “Wisdom, forgive me, let us hear the holy Gospel. Peace to all" - you need to bow your head accepting the blessing.

13. While reading the Gospel, as if listening to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, one should stand with bowed head.

14. After reading the Gospel, the litany follows: “Pray for the catechumens of the Lord… Vernia, for the catechumens let us pray, that the Lord have mercy on them… He will pronounce them with the word of truth… He will reveal the Gospel of truth to them…” - as we can see, petitions are associated with catechumens, people who are not yet in the bosom of the church, that is, not baptized, or who are under a ban, penance.

15. At the second litany, the priest proclaims: “Elitsy, Announcements, come out, Announcements come out, but no one from the catechumens of the figurines, packs and packs, let us pray to the Lord in peace” . From these words it is clear that the catechumens must leave the church before the end of the liturgy. This is explained by the fact that a person who is unrepentant of sins or who does not belong to the faithful of the church (baptized) cannot be present at the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the greatest sacrament of the Church, when wine and bread are transformed into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Sacrament of Communion, all faithful children are united with Christ.

Liturgy of the Faithful

Let us examine how to behave at the liturgy of the faithful.

Faithful Christians constitute the Church of Christ and only they can serve the priest in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

1. At the end of the litanies, the Cherubic Hymn is sung.

If translated from Church Slavonic in Russian means the following: “We, mysteriously depicting the cherubim and singing the thrice-holy song to the Trinity, which gives life, will now leave the care of everything worldly, so that we can glorify the King of all, Whom the angelic forces invisibly wear and glorify” .

This prayer reminds us how the angelic forces in heaven serve at the throne of God and is based on the visions of the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel.

Drawing a conclusion on the above, how to behave on the Cherubic Hymn? The answer is simple! The way they would behave if they were before the Throne of God.

2. The Great Entrance is when the clergy leave the altar carrying the Chalice of wine and paten (special liturgical utensils) with the Lamb. They stand on the pulpit and commemorate the Patriarch, the diocesan bishop, all the benefactors who come to the church and pray, all Orthodox Christians. This is done in order to show that the Holy Gifts will be offered as a Sacrifice to God for the salvation of all those who are commemorated.

The Great Entrance symbolizes the procession of the Lord Jesus Christ to free suffering for the salvation of the world.

4. The deacon proclaims: “Doors, doors, let us pay attention to wisdom” . The words “Doors, doors” in ancient times referred to gatekeepers, so that they would not let catechumens or pagans into the temple during the celebration of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Words: With wisdom, let us listen (we will listen) call the attention of believers to the saving teaching of the Orthodox Church, set forth in the Creed.

5. The choir sings the Creed. At the beginning of the Creed, the sign of the cross should be made.

The Creed was compiled by the will of the Holy Spirit by the Holy Fathers 1 and 2 Ecumenical Councils. It is an invariable guide for all Orthodox Christians in their spiritual life.

Symbol of faith- this is summary our faith.

"I believe" is allowed to sing along with the choir.

6. The deacon or priest proclaims: "Let's become good, let's stand with fear, let's pay attention, bring holy exaltation in the world" . With these words, believers are called to gather their spirit and mind before the upcoming sacred service.

The Eucharistic Canon begins. The choir sings a song "The Grace of the World..." .

3. Why is it necessary to behave in this chant? 'Cause when you sing the words “We sing to you, we bless you, we thank you…” the greatest mystery is being performed - the priest asks God to send the Holy Spirit on those who pray and on the Gifts. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Gifts transforms Them into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. During the Holy Eucharist, one should pray with special attention. The importance of this moment is so great that not a single minute of our life can compare with it. This sacred moment contains all our salvation and God's love for the human race, for God has appeared in the flesh.

4. While singing Worthy to eat (or another sacred song in honor of the Mother of God - worthy), the priest prays for the living and the dead, commemorating them by name, especially those for whom it is performed Divine Liturgy. And those present in the temple should at this time remember by name their loved ones, the living and the dead.

5. After it is worthy to eat or a worthy person replacing it - bow to the ground. At the words: And everyone, and everything - a bow is made from the waist.

6. At the beginning of the public singing of the Lord's Prayer - Our Father - you should depict the sign of the cross on yourself and bow to the ground.

7. At the exclamation of the priest: "Holy - holy" the earthly bow is due for the sake of the offering of the Holy Lamb before His fragmentation. At this time, one should remember the Last Supper and the last conversation of the Lord Jesus Christ with the disciples, His suffering on the Cross, death and burial.

8. After the opening of the royal doors and the bringing out of the Holy Gifts, which means the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ after the Resurrection, at the exclamation: "Come with the fear of God and faith!" - bow to the ground.

9. When starting to receive the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, after the priest reads the prayers before communion, one should bow to the ground, fold his arms crosswise on his chest (in no case should you be baptized, so as not to accidentally push and spill the Holy Chalice, - cross-folded hands replace the sign of the cross at this time) and slowly, reverently, with the fear of God, approach the Holy Chalice, naming your name, and after receiving the Holy Mysteries, kiss the lower part of the Chalice, like the most pure rib of Christ itself, and then step aside calmly , without making the sign of the cross and bows until the acceptance of warmth. We should especially thank the Lord for His great mercy, for the grace-filled gift of Holy Communion: Glory to Thee, God! Glory to Thee, God! Glory to Thee, God! Earthly prostrations on this day are not performed by communicants until the evening. Those who do not partake of the Divine Liturgy, during the holy moments of communion, should stand in the church with reverent prayer, not thinking about earthly things, not leaving the church at that time, so as not to offend the Holy Things of the Lord and not violate the deanery of the church.

10. At the words of the priest: "Always, now and ever and forever and ever" , at the last appearance of the Holy Gifts, depicting the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ to Heaven, an earthly bow with the sign of the cross is required for those who have not been honored with the Holy Mysteries, and for those who are communicants - a bow with the sign of the cross. Whoever has not yet had time to receive warmth by this time should turn his face to the Holy Chalice, thereby expressing reverence for the great Shrine.

11. The holy antidoron (from Greek - instead of a gift) is distributed to those present after the Divine Liturgy for the blessing and sanctification of the soul and body, so that those who did not partake of the Holy Mysteries would taste the consecrated bread. The Church Charter indicates that antidoron can only be taken on an empty stomach - nothing to eat or drink.

Antidor should receive it reverently, folding his palms crosswise, right to left, and kissing the priest's hand that gives this gift.

12. At the end of the liturgy, the priest commemorates the names of the saints whose memory is celebrated on that day and the creator of the liturgy (for example, John Chrysostom, who wrote the liturgy called the liturgy of John Chrysostom).

The choir sings for many years, where the patriarch, the diocesan bishop, parishioners of the temple and all Orthodox Christians are commemorated.

13. All those praying approach the Cross, which the priest gives to kiss.

According to Russian Orthodox tradition, God is in the soul of everyone, and in order to ask him for something, it is not necessary to go to church, since the text of the prayer comes to God through the word. The order of service in the church is only the earthly embodiment of faith. You can come here, repent and receive a blessing.

It is very important for many people not only to feel the support of God in their souls, but also to see his incarnation in the icons that are in the temple. Divine services are held in the church according to certain canons. The duration and start time differ depending on the church holiday.

Schedule of liturgies

For church cloisters there is no general rule for holding Divine Liturgies, matins, especially on weekdays. The temple opens early in the morning. The time of the event is determined by the priest himself. depending on the wishes of the people visiting it.

For big Christian holidays evening and morning liturgy is held. In addition, a prayer service is held on Sunday. The beginning of the service in the church on Sundays, as a rule, takes place at 7-8 o'clock in the morning. In some churches, Matins and Matins may be moved an hour later or an hour earlier. That's why about matins you need to check with the servants of the temple where you go, how long the liturgy lasts in the morning, they decide. Vespers at 19-20 hours. Night service also happens, but only on big holidays: Epiphany, Easter. In addition, a religious procession is held for the glory of God.

How long the service in the church lasts depends on the significance of the holiday. On weekdays, it can be held for a maximum of 2 hours, and the Sunday service in the Orthodox Church reaches up to three hours.

What time the evening service in the church begins also depends on the scale of the holiday. The earliest start can be at 16:00, the latest at 18:00. Such a service takes place within 2-4 hours. If church holidays are celebrated, then it is divided into everyday, small and great. conducted using the all-night language.

Types of worship

Regardless of who conducts it and in what place, all services are divided into daily, annual and weekly. Services are held in full in monasteries, and it is the monks who follow all the canons of the church. The monks fully comply with the rules of church services, but in small churches they are held depending on the schedule created by the ministers.

Every day of the week is celebrated in the church and is dedicated to certain moments.:

• Sunday is a small Easter, on this day the resurrection of Christ is remembered.
• You can pray to the angels on Monday.
• John the Baptist hears prayers on Tuesday.
• On Wednesday, the betrayal of Judas and the memory of the Cross are remembered.
• Thursday is considered an apostolic day and is dedicated to St. Nicholas.
• On Friday, services are held dedicated to prayer for the suffering of Christ.
• Saturday is dedicated to the Mother of God.

Therefore, if you do not have the opportunity to go to church regularly, then you can read prayers by day, depending on who they are intended for.

Church services on weekdays

Believers visit the temple not only on Saturday or Sunday, but also on weekdays. You can go to church when it is convenient for the believer. At the same time, a Christian parish must always be open. The daily cycle of worship is divided into 9 different parts, and it includes:

• The circle starts at 18:00.
• Compline is the reading of prayers in the evening.
• From 12:00 midnight there is a midnight service.
• Matins is divided into the following: the first hour - from 7:00, the third hour - from 9:00, the sixth hour - from 12:00, the ninth hour from 15:00.

Liturgy, held from 6:00, 9:00 to 12:00, is not included in the daily cycle of church service. Speaking of the ideal worship service, each temple should be open at this time, and all the listed services should be held.

The peculiarity of their conduct depends solely on the chief priest of the church. In the villages, early and late readings of prayers take place only in large temples.

Service in the temple

As already mentioned, the service is held in each temple, the only difference is in the time of holding and its duration. During the day, the main service is the Divine Liturgy.

At the service, a prayer is read, Christ is remembered, and it ends with an invitation to all who wish to go through the sacrament of Communion. It takes place between 6 and 9 o'clock.

On Sunday, as a rule, one service is held, and it is called the Eucharistic. The service on this day goes one after another. Matins gives way to mass, and mass, in turn, gives way to evening service.

Not so long ago, there were changes in the Church Charter, and now Compline is held only during the beginning of Great Lent. If a we are talking about church holidays, then the service may not stop, and one replaces the other.

In addition to large services, ceremonies and sacraments can be held in the church, evening readings and morning prayers, reading akathists in the temple and much more. All divine services, regardless of the time of holding, are conducted by the servant of the temple, and visitors become its participants.

Going to church, reading a prayer for the night or during the day is exclusively everyone's business. No one can force a person to go to church and pray. Only the person himself decides for himself what to do, what to visit and how to convey his prayer to God.

Perhaps all people want to be happy and joyful, get rid of laziness and sadness, protect their loved ones from adversity. All this can be achieved by participating in the life of the Orthodox Church. Faith in the heart alone is not enough for Orthodox Christians - you need to regularly attend Divine Services and participate in the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist. And then, whatever the external conditions of life, in any situation, a person will be able to maintain a joyful and calm state of mind. And you can start the path to such a worldview by attending Divine Services.

Daily services, schedule

The daily circle of divine services of the Orthodox Church consists of nine services.

In ancient times, in monastic and hermit life, they were performed each separately strictly according to time. But over time, they were combined into evening, morning and afternoon services, so that it would be more convenient for believers to attend services. As in the Bible, the Lord began the creation of the world in the evening, and approximately from the time the sun sets over the horizon, the day begins and the day in the Orthodox Church.

Evening worship:

• Ninth hour (3 p.m.)
• Vespers
• compline

Morning worship:

• Midnight (midnight)
• Matins
• First hour (7 am)

Daily Worship:

• Third hour (9 am)
• Sixth hour (12 days)
• Liturgy

Scheme of the daily circle of Orthodox worship

According to the Byzantine reckoning of time, a day consists of 12 day and 12 night hours, which are grouped into 8 guards, also day and night. Since in summer night hours are shorter than daytime hours, and vice versa in winter, the schedule shown in the diagram is true only during the spring and autumn equinoxes.

The daily cycle of worship, its meaning and content

The ninth hour is a remembrance of the most important event - the death of the Savior on the Cross.
Vespers is gratitude to the Lord for the almost past day.

At Compline, believers ask God for forgiveness of sins, for preservation from the devil's wiles, and for granting peace to the soul and body during sleep.
The Midnight Office is a remembrance of believers about the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The symbolism of the service calls everyone to be always ready for the coming of the Last Judgment.
Matins is gratitude to the Lord for the past night and a prayer for the coming.
The first hour is prayers for the day that has already begun.
The third hour is a remembrance of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles.
The sixth hour is a remembrance of the crucifixion of the Savior.

The liturgy is the most important divine service, a remembrance of the entire period of Jesus Christ's stay on earth. It is at the Liturgy that Communion is performed - the Sacrament established at the Last Supper by Jesus Christ himself.

Annual weekly and daily cycle of worship

The order of services of the Orthodox Church throughout the year is called the annual cycle of worship. All days, without exception, are dedicated to the memory of one of the Saints, fasts or holidays.
Among all the holidays, the greatest is Holy Pascha.

There are also 12 great (twelfth) holidays in honor of the Savior and the Mother of God, as well as celebrations in honor of saints and angels. The great ones are always accompanied by a special service - the All-Night Vigil.
Holidays are fixed and mobile (calculated from the day of Easter).
Weekly circle - the order of church services during the week. All days are dedicated to especially revered saints or biblical events.
Resurrection is a remembrance of the Resurrection of the Savior.
Monday is dedicated to angels.
Tuesday is a memory of John the Baptist and other prophets.
Wednesday and Friday are fast days, they remember the Crucifixion of the Savior.
Wednesday is also dedicated to the Mother of God.
Thursday is the day of remembrance of the apostles and saints.
On Saturday, the apostles are also remembered, and also the martyrs, forefathers, prophets, the righteous, the reverends and all the saints. All deceased Orthodox Christians are also commemorated.
The daily circle is nine consecutive Divine Services. This includes Vespers and Matins, Compline and Midnight Office, hours (first, third, sixth, ninth), as well as the Liturgy.

Is the Liturgy included in the daily circle of worship?

The Divine Liturgy ends the daily cycle of worship.

Church service Liturgy, brief essence with explanations

The main thing that happens at the Liturgy is the transformation of the ordinary into the Body and Blood of Christ of ordinary bread and wine, as well as the Eucharist - Communion of the faithful.
The service begins with the preparation of the items necessary for the Sacrament of Communion, then preparations for the Sacrament and Communion itself take place. Conventionally, the Divine Liturgy has three parts:

1. Proskomedia. It requires five prosphora (this is a special bread for the liturgy). They symbolize the five loaves with which Jesus fed 5,000 people. Symbolic particles are taken out of each, and the priest asks the Lord to bless them.

Also, wine mixed with water is poured into the cup as a symbol of the fact that blood and water were poured out of the wounds of Jesus Christ.

2. Liturgy of the catechumens. Baptized believers can pray on it, as well as only those undergoing the process of preparation for this ceremony. First, the deacon asks for a blessing to begin the service. Then, after the priest has glorified the Holy Trinity, he pronounces the Great Litany. This hour ends with the phrase of mass with the phrase "Announcement, go out."
3. The Liturgy of the Faithful is served only for baptized Orthodox Christians. The gifts are transferred to the throne from the altar and consecrated. The Communion of the faithful takes place, thanksgiving for the Eucharist and dismissal.

Liturgy what is it in simple words

This is the most important divine service in the Orthodox Church, at which God is glorified and the faithful, who partake of Communion, are united with Jesus Christ.

Liturgy with video explanations

Types of Liturgy in Orthodoxy

There are three types of Divine Liturgy:

1. Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. On it, believers partake of the Holy Gifts, consecrated earlier. Such mass is celebrated on part of the days of Great Lent. On it, believers partake of the Holy Gifts, consecrated earlier, at other types of Liturgies.

2. Liturgy of Basil the Great. This type of mass is celebrated on some Great Lenten days, on the eve or on the days of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ, as well as Baptism. It is also served on the feast day of St. Basil the Great.
3. Liturgy of John Chrysostom. It takes place on all other days of the year.

When is the Liturgy served?

The second name of the Liturgy is Mass. This service is so named because it must be performed in the pre-dinner time, before noon, between the sixth and ninth hours. Sometimes the liturgy drags on until lunchtime, for example, on fasting and holidays, when a huge number of people come to Communion.

How long is the Liturgy

On average, the Liturgy lasts up to 4 hours, but may be limited to two hours. The duration increases if, for example, many parishioners confess and receive communion, if the rite of bringing babies and mothers into the temple after childbirth is performed, if the service is minimally reduced (usually in monastic churches it lasts much longer than in ordinary churches). Much depends on the choir and directly on the regent, on the chosen chants. The duration of the sermon is also important. As a rule, on holidays, on Sundays and Great Lent, the service lasts longer.

Schedule of Liturgies in the Church

Being late for the liturgy is a sin. Therefore, in order to arrive on time, parishioners should familiarize themselves with the schedule of liturgies. It is usually posted on the bulletin board and/or the temple website. In churches with a small number of parishioners, Liturgy is often served only on Sundays and holidays, as well as daily on Holy Week before Easter. In large churches, in cathedrals with a large number of parishioners and in monasteries, Liturgy is served daily. On holidays and Sundays in such churches (especially if several churches are located on the same site) there are 2-4 Liturgies each.
An example of the schedule of liturgies in the monastery:
6.30 Liturgy at the Holy Intercession Church.
8.00 Liturgy in the Church of St. Nicholas.
9.30 Liturgy in the Holy Protection Church.

Liturgy on Parents' Saturday

Parental Saturdays are days of special commemoration of the departed Orthodox. They differ primarily in funeral services - litias, requiems, parastases. The main prayers for the deceased Christians are offered the day before on Friday. However, according to the troparions, canons and stichera of the liturgy read parent Saturdays are also different. These days, the majority of parishioners try to submit notes and light candles for repose, pray for deceased relatives and all Orthodox Christians who have died before.

Liturgy during Great Lent

On Lenten days, mass often lasts much longer than in other periods, because a huge number of believers want to confess and take communion. Special sermons, extraordinary services on Palm Sunday and during Holy Week - all this encourages many even non-churched people to attend church.

What does it mean to order the Liturgy

In the Orthodox Church, you can order some services everywhere - for example, a memorial service for the deceased or a memorial service for the dead. In some churches today you can also "order the liturgy." It is served separately from the general one especially for the orderer and, for example, his relatives and is often associated with the commemoration of the dead. Sometimes the phrase "Ordered liturgy" means a special requirement. For each name indicated in the note, a particle is taken out of the Holy Bread (prosphora), at the end of the Liturgy, it is put into the cup with the Blood of Christ; they are also commemorated throughout the special litany.

Communion at the Liturgy

Communion is the culmination of the Liturgy, its main action is the partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ by the faithful. Participants of this Sacrament merge with God, receive healing from physical and spiritual illnesses, strength for self-improvement, struggle with their own shortcomings and passions. Of all the numerous church services, communion takes place only at the Divine Liturgy, which greatly enhances its significance.

Christians prepare for Communion at the Liturgy by fasting, reading special prayers, and participating in the Sacrament of Confession. As for small children, they receive communion without special preparation; as it increases, it is possible to introduce a minimum measure of fasting.

Confession at the Liturgy

Confession, unlike Communion, can take place not only during the liturgy, but also before it, and at the evening service. Since repentance purifies the soul and prepares it to receive the Holy Gifts, confession at the liturgy is often chosen by those parishioners who are afraid to sin in the time interval before Communion.

In order to confess at the Liturgy, believers before this service carefully analyze their behavior in the past, and then mentally or in writing make a list of their sins. The priest reads the prayer of repentance over the confessors, and then the Sacrament itself begins. During Confession, the Orthodox take turns approaching the lectern (special table) and telling the priest their sins, after which the priest reads a permissive prayer over each. Some penitents may not be allowed to take Communion. The rest of the parishioners are blessed to take communion.

Festive Liturgy, briefly with explanations

The liturgy on the feast is distinguished by a special selection of prayers and hymns. For example, the Liturgy on the day of memory of St. Nicholas is distinguished by the commemoration of this saint, the reading of special prayers addressed to him.

What time does the Liturgy start?

Liturgy is always served in the morning until noon, but in all churches and cathedrals it is different. Most often, it starts at 8.00 or 9.00, but it can also start at other hours (for example, at 5.30 or 9.30). To inform the parishioners, each temple has a Schedule of Divine Services, most often updated weekly.

What time does the church service start on Sunday

Liturgy is always served in the morning until noon, but in all churches and cathedrals at different times. Most often it starts at 8.00 or 9.00, but sometimes at other hours (for example, at 5.30 or 9.30). To inform the parishioners, each temple has a Schedule of Divine Services, most often updated weekly.

One or more services may be served on Sunday. In all churches on this day, at least one Liturgy is served in the morning, more often two, early and late. In addition to it, there may be Vespers, Matins and Hours, in monastic churches - Compline and Midnight Office. The Sacraments of Wedding and Baptism, for example, are also among the services. Often they are scheduled for the time after the liturgy.

To find out the start time of the services, you need to look at the church schedule of services, ask the priest or visit the church website.

What time does the church service start today, on weekdays

Evening and morning services are served in many churches on weekdays. Their start time is indicated in the Schedule of Divine Services, most often posted on the bulletin board near the temple. The time of the beginning of baptisms, weddings and other treb (private services) can be obtained directly from the priest.

What time does the church service start on holidays

As a rule, most parishioners attend church on holidays. There are more services these days than usual. The start time of Divine Services in each church is different, and it is best to find out the schedule directly on the spot.

What time does the church service start on Saturday

It is on Saturday evening that Sunday matins with anointing with oil is served in the church. This ceremony of depicting the cross on the forehead of the believers symbolizes the outpouring of God's mercy on the anointed one. Therefore, such a service is especially crowded, often parents bring small children. This service usually begins in the evening, for example, at 17.00, 18.00 or other time set in the temple. Saturday Liturgy is served in the morning until noon, usually at the same time as on weekdays.

How long is the service in the church

The service can go on for several hours or several tens of minutes - it all depends on the type of Divine service. For example, the Liturgy may last from early morning until almost noon, and the Panikhida after it may be relatively short.

What time does the church service start?

The evening service in parish churches usually consists of vespers, as well as matins and the first hour. Sometimes this includes, for example, Akathists. Usually the evening service starts at 17.00, 17.30 or 18.00, but it can also be at other times.

What time does the church service end?

The daily cycle of worship in some monasteries can be called continuous. But in many small churches there can be only a few services a day: in the morning - Divine Liturgy, later - Vespers and Matins. Liturgy ends approximately before noon - for example, at 10 or 12 o'clock. Evening worship most often ends at about 19-20 hours.

Does the church have a day off

In large churches, services take place daily. In small towns and villages, it is not difficult to find churches that do not have services on weekdays. However, these days you can easily turn to a priest, for example, with a request to help prepare for Baptism or give advice in a difficult situation. life situation. Most likely, despite the absence of a service, the priest will make an appointment for the questioner in the temple. Requirements (weddings, funerals, and others) in such churches can also be scheduled on a weekday. So it's safe to say that the church has no days off.

What days the church may not work

One of the conditions necessary for the celebration of the liturgy is the presence of parishioners. So if only the priest and choristers visit the church on a weekday, the Liturgy in such churches is not daily. Both Matins and Vespers may not be served, so that the church on weekdays, for example, in a small village may be closed. However, on Saturday evening, as well as on Sunday morning, services are performed in all churches.

Church Visit Schedule

If services are performed in all 12 months of the year, weekly and daily - is it really Orthodox Christian obligated to attend all without exception? Of course, this is not true. The Bible mentions that the main thing is to attend Sunday services, that is, they take place on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Also of great importance is the attendance of services on the days Orthodox holidays, in time Holy Week in Great Lent- it is advisable not to skip them without special reasons.

It is important to regularly sincerely confess and receive communion, and then, as a Christian becomes churched, a desire to attend services more and more often will arise. After all, the Orthodox, trying to live according to the Commandments of God, giving Special attention prayer and participating in the Sacraments, in the church he feels a special Divine Grace. It is she who calls on millions of believers to hurry to the temple at every opportunity and without fatigue, with joy to pray at long services. So the schedule for attending church is a very individual, personal matter.

Of course, from the first days in the Orthodox Church, the believer will not be able to understand the features of numerous services, will not understand and will not remember all the subtleties. However, if a person makes efforts and does not retreat on the path of churching, following the path of life under the guidance of a confessor, over time, the complex and confusing at first glance church life will become more and more understandable, and the Lord Himself will support and strengthen on the path.

The most important service is the Divine Liturgy. On it, a great Sacrament is performed - the change of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord and the Communion of the faithful. Liturgy in Greek means joint work. Believers gather in the temple in order to glorify God together with “one mouth and one heart” and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Thus, they follow the example of the holy apostles and the Lord Himself, who, having gathered for the Last Supper on the eve of the Savior’s betrayal and suffering on the Cross, drank from the Chalice and ate the Bread that He gave them, reverently listening to His words: “This is My Body…” and “This is my blood…”

Divine Liturgy

Christ commanded His apostles to perform this Sacrament, and the apostles taught this to their successors - bishops and presbyters, priests. The original name of this Sacrament of Thanksgiving is the Eucharist (Greek). The public worship at which the Eucharist is celebrated is called the liturgy (from the Greek litos - public and ergon - service, business). Liturgy is sometimes called mass, since it is usually supposed to be performed from dawn to noon, that is, in the pre-dinner time.

The order of the liturgy is as follows: first, the objects for the Sacrament (Offered Gifts) are prepared, then the faithful prepare for the Sacrament, and finally, the Sacrament itself and the Communion of the faithful are performed. Thus, the liturgy is divided into three parts, which are called:

• Proskomedia
• Liturgy of the catechumens
• Liturgy of the faithful.

Proskomedia

The Greek word proskomidia means offering. This is the name of the first part of the liturgy in memory of the custom of the first Christians to bring bread, wine and everything necessary for the service. Therefore, the bread itself, used to celebrate the liturgy, is called prosphora, that is, an offering.

The prosphora should be round, and it consists of two parts, as an image of two natures in Christ - Divine and human. Prosphora is baked from leavened wheat bread without any additions except salt.

A cross is imprinted on the upper part of the prosphora, and at its corners the initial letters of the name of the Savior: "IC XC" and the Greek word "NI KA", which together means: Jesus Christ wins. To perform the Sacrament, red grape wine is used, pure, without any additives. Wine is mixed with water in remembrance of the fact that blood and water poured out from the wound of the Savior on the Cross. For proskomedia, five prosphora are used in remembrance that Christ fed five thousand people with five loaves, but the prosphora that is prepared for Communion is one of these five, because there is one Christ, Savior and God. After the priest and deacon perform the entrance prayers in front of the closed Royal Doors and put on sacred clothes in the altar, they approach the altar. The priest takes the first (lamb) prosphora and makes a copy of the image of the cross on it three times, saying: “In remembrance of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” From this prosphora, the priest cuts out the middle in the shape of a cube. This cubic part of the prosphora is called the Lamb. She is placed on the diskos. Then the priest cross-cuts the Lamb from the underside and pierces its right side with a spear.

After that, wine mixed with water is poured into the bowl.

The second prosphora is called the Mother of God, a particle is taken out of it in honor of the Mother of God. The third is called the nine-fold, because nine particles are taken out of it in honor of John the Baptist, prophets, apostles, saints, martyrs, reverends, unmercenaries, Joachim and Anna - the parents of the Virgin and the saints of the temple, daytime saints, and also in honor of the saint whose name the liturgy is performed.

From the fourth and fifth prosphora, particles are taken out for the living and the dead.

At the proskomedia, particles are also removed from the prosphora, which are served by believers for the repose and health of relatives and friends.

All these particles are laid out in a special order on the diskos next to the Lamb. Having finished all the preparations for the celebration of the Liturgy, the priest places an asterisk on the paten, covering it and the chalice with two small covers, and then all together covers it with a large cover, which is called air, and censes the Offered Gifts, asking the Lord to bless them, remember those who brought these Gifts and those for whom they were offered. During the proskomidia in the temple, the 3rd and 6th hours are read.

Liturgy of the catechumens

The second part of the liturgy is called the liturgy of the “catechumens”, because during its celebration not only the baptized, but also those preparing to receive this sacrament, that is, the “catechumens” can be present.

The deacon, having received a blessing from the priest, comes out of the altar to the pulpit and loudly proclaims: “Bless, Master,” that is, bless the assembled faithful to begin the service and participate in the liturgy.

The priest in his first exclamation glorifies the Holy Trinity: "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever." The chanters sing "Amen" and the deacon pronounces the Great Litany.

The choir sings antiphons, that is, psalms that are supposed to be sung alternately by the right and left choirs.

Blessed are you, Lord
Bless, O my soul, the Lord and all my inner being, His holy name. Bless, my soul, the Lord
And do not forget all His rewards: He who cleanses all your iniquities, He who heals all your diseases,
delivering your life from corruption, crowning you with mercy and bounty, fulfilling your desire in good things: your youth will be renewed like an eagle. Merciful and merciful, Lord. Long-suffering and merciful. Bless, O my soul, the Lord and all my inner name, His holy name. Blessed be the Lord

and "Praise, my soul, the Lord..."
Praise, my soul, the Lord. I will praise the Lord in my stomach; I will sing to my God while I am.
Do not rely on princes, on the sons of men, in them there is no salvation. His spirit will go out and return to his own land, and in that day all his thoughts will perish. Blessed is the God of Jacob his helper, his hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; who keeps the truth forever, who executes judgment on the offended, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord will decide the fettered; The Lord makes the blind wise; The Lord raises up the downtrodden; The Lord loves the righteous;
The Lord guards the aliens, he will accept the orphan and the widow, and the path of sinners will be destroyed.

At the end of the second antiphon, the song "Only Begotten Son ..." is sung. This song contains the entire teaching of the Church about Jesus Christ.

The only-begotten Son and the Word of God, He is immortal, and deigning our salvation for the sake of becoming incarnate
from the Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, immutably incarnated, crucified for us, Christ God, trampled down by death, the One of the Holy Trinity, glorified by the Father and the Holy Spirit,
save us.

In Russian, it sounds like this: “Save us, the Only-begotten Son and the Word of God, the Immortal, who deigned for our salvation to incarnate from the Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, who became a man and did not change, crucified and corrected death by death, Christ God, one of the Holy Persons Trinity, glorified together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.” After a small litany, the choir sings the third antiphon - the gospel "beatitudes". The Royal Doors open for the Small Entrance.

Remember us in Your Kingdom, O Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the mercies, for they will have mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed exile for the sake of righteousness, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are you, when they reproach you, and spit you out, and speak every evil word against you, lying for My sake.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven.

At the end of the singing, the priest with the deacon, who carries the gospel on the altar, goes to the pulpit. Having received a blessing from the priest, the deacon stops at the Royal Doors and, lifting up the Gospel, proclaims: “Wisdom, forgive,” that is, reminds the faithful that they will soon hear gospel reading, therefore, they must stand straight and with attention (sorry - means straight).

The entrance to the altar of the clergy with the Gospel is called the Small Entrance, in contrast to the Great Entrance, which takes place later at the liturgy of the faithful. The small entrance reminds believers of the first appearance at the preaching of Jesus Christ. The choir sings “Come, let us worship and fall down to Christ. Save us, Son of God, risen from the dead, singing to Ty: Alleluia. After that, the troparion (Sunday, holiday or saint) and other hymns are sung. Then the Trisagion is sung: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (thrice).

The Apostle and the Gospel are read. When reading the Gospel, believers stand with their heads bowed, listening with reverence to the holy gospel.

After the reading of the Gospel, the relatives and friends of those praying in the church of the faithful are commemorated of the dead by notes.

They are followed by the litany of the catechumens. The liturgy of the catechumens ends with the words “Announcement, come out.”

Liturgy of the Faithful

This is the name of the third part of the liturgy. It can be attended only by the faithful, that is, those who are baptized and who do not have prohibitions from a priest or bishop. At the Liturgy of the Faithful:

1) the Gifts are transferred from the altar to the throne;
2) believers prepare for the consecration of the Gifts;
3) the Gifts are consecrated;
4) believers prepare for Communion and take communion;
5) then thanksgiving is done for Communion and dismissal.

After the pronunciation of two short litanies, the Cherubic Hymn is sung “Although the cherubim secretly form and sing the Trisagion Hymn to the Life-Giving Trinity, now let us lay aside all worldly care. As if we would raise the King of all, angelic invisibly gifted chinmi. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia". In Russian, it reads as follows: “We, mysteriously depicting the Cherubim and singing the thrice-sacred song to the Trinity that gives life, will now leave the care of everything worldly in order to glorify the King of all, Whom the invisibly angelic ranks solemnly glorify. Alleluia."

Before the Cherubic Hymn, the Royal Doors open and the deacon performs incense. The priest at this time secretly prays that the Lord would cleanse his soul and heart and deign to perform the Sacrament. Then the priest, raising his hands, in an undertone utters the first part of the Cherubic Hymn three times, and the deacon also finishes it in an undertone. Both of them go to the altar to transfer the prepared Gifts to the throne. The deacon has air on his left shoulder, he carries the paten with both hands, placing it on his head. The priest carries the Holy Chalice in front of him. They leave the altar through the northern side doors, stop at the pulpit, and, facing the faithful, say a prayer for the Patriarch, the bishops, and for all Orthodox Christians.

Deacon: Our Great Lord and Father Alexy, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Our Lord Most Reverend (the name of the rivers of the diocesan bishop) metropolitan (or: archbishop, or: bishop) (title of the diocesan bishop), may the Lord God always remember in His Kingdom , now and forever, and forever and ever.

Priest: May the Lord God remember all of you Orthodox Christians in His Kingdom always, now and forever, and forever and ever.

Then the priest and deacon enter the altar through the Royal Doors. This is how the Great Entrance is made.

The Gifts brought are placed on the throne and covered with air (a large cover), the Royal Doors are closed and the veil is drawn. The chanters complete the Cherubic Hymn. During the transfer of the Gifts from the altar to the throne, believers remember how the Lord voluntarily went to suffering and death on the cross. They stand with their heads bowed and pray to the Savior for themselves and their loved ones.

After the Great Entrance, the deacon pronounces the Litany of Petition, the priest blesses those present with the words: "Peace to all." Then it is exclaimed: "Let us love one another, that we confess with one mind" and the choir continues: "The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible."

Following this, usually the whole temple, the Creed is sung. On behalf of the Church, it briefly expresses the whole essence of our faith, and therefore must be pronounced in joint love and unanimity.

Symbol of faith

I believe in the One God, the Almighty Father, the Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in the One Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, Who was born from the Father before all ages. Light from light, true God from true God, born uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was. For us, man, and for our salvation, he descended from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, And suffering, and buried. And resurrected on the third day according to the scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And the packs of the future with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped with the glorious, who spoke the prophets. Into a single Holy Cathedral and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. tea resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.

After the chanting of the Creed, the time comes to bring the “Holy Exaltation” with the fear of God and without fail “in peace”, without any malice or enmity towards anyone.

"Let's become good, let's stand with fear, let's pay attention, bring the holy exaltation in the world." In response to this, the choir sings: "The grace of the world, the sacrifice of praise."

The gifts of the world will be a thankful and laudatory sacrifice to God for all His good deeds. The priest blesses the believers with the words: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love (love) of God and the Father, and the communion (communion) of the Holy Spirit be with you all." And then he calls: “Woe to our hearts,” that is, we will have hearts aspiring upward, to God. To this, the singers on behalf of the believers answer: “Imams to the Lord”, that is, we already have hearts aspiring to the Lord.

The main part of the liturgy begins with the words of the priest “We thank the Lord”. We thank the Lord for all His mercies and make a prostration, and the singers sing: “It is worthy and righteous to worship the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity of the Consubstantial Inseparable.”

At this time, the priest in the prayer, which is called the Eucharistic (that is, thanksgiving), glorifies the Lord and His perfection, thanks Him for the creation and redemption of man, and for all His graces known to us and even unknown. He thanks the Lord for accepting this bloodless Sacrifice, although He is surrounded by higher spiritual beings - archangels, angels, cherubim, seraphim, "singing, crying out, crying out and speaking the song of victory." The priest speaks these last words of the secret prayer aloud. The singers add to them the angelic song: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Hosts, fulfill (that is, filled) heaven and earth with Thy glory.” This song, which is called “Seraphim,” is supplemented by the words with which the people greeted the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem: “Hosanna in the highest (that is, he who lives in heaven) Blessed is he who comes (that is, he who goes) in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!"

The priest pronounces the exclamation: "Singing the victorious song, crying out, calling out and speaking." These words are taken from the visions of the prophet Ezekiel and the Apostle John the Theologian, who saw in the revelation the Throne of God, surrounded by angels having various images: one was in the form of an eagle (the word “singing” refers to it), the other in the form of a calf (“cryingly”) , the third in the form of a lion (“calling”) and, finally, the fourth in the form of a man (“verbal”). These four angels continually exclaimed: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Hosts." While singing these words, the priest secretly continues the prayer of thanksgiving, he glorifies the good that God sends to people, His infinite love for His creation, which was manifested in the coming to earth of the Son of God.

Remembering the Last Supper at which the Lord instituted the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the priest loudly pronounces the words spoken by the Savior at it: “Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins.” And also: “Drink all of her, this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.” Finally, the priest, remembering in secret prayer the commandment of the Savior to take Communion, glorifies His life, suffering and death, resurrection, ascension to heaven and the second coming in glory, loudly pronounces: These words mean: "Your gifts from Your servants we bring to You, Lord, because of everything we have said."

The singers sing: “We sing to You, we bless You, we thank You, Lord. And we pray, our God."

The priest in secret prayer asks the Lord to send His Holy Spirit on the people standing in the church and on the Offered Gifts, so that He sanctifies them. Then the priest reads the troparion three times in an undertone: “Lord, even Thy Most Holy Spirit at the third hour sent down by Thy apostles, Him, good, do not take away from us, but renew us, praying.” The deacon pronounces the twelfth and thirteenth verse of the 50th psalm: “Create a pure heart in me, O God…” and “Do not cast me away from Your presence….”. Then the priest blesses the Holy Lamb lying on the paten and says: “And make this bread, the precious Body of Thy Christ.”

Then he blesses the cup, saying: "And the hedgehog in this cup is the precious Blood of Thy Christ." And, finally, he blesses the gifts along with the words: "Changing by Your Holy Spirit." In these great and holy moments, the Gifts become the true Body and Blood of the Savior, although they remain in appearance the same as before.

The priest with the deacon and the faithful make prostration before the Holy Gifts, as to the King and God himself. After the consecration of the Gifts, the priest in secret prayer asks the Lord that those who partake will be strengthened in every good thing, that their sins will be forgiven, that they will partake of the Holy Spirit and reach the Kingdom of Heaven, that the Lord will allow them to turn to Himself with their needs and not condemn them for unworthy communion. The priest remembers the saints and especially Blessed Virgin Mary and loudly proclaims: “Fairly (that is, especially) about the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary”, and the choir responds with a song of praise:
It is worthy to eat, as truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.

The priest continues to secretly pray for the dead and, moving on to praying for the living, loudly commemorates His Holiness the Patriarch, the ruling diocesan bishop, “in the first place”, the choir answers: “And everyone and everything”, that is, asks the Lord to remember all believers. The prayer for the living ends with the exclamation of the priest: “And give us one mouth and one heart (that is, with one accord) to glorify and sing the most honorable and magnificent your name the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever.”

Finally, the priest blesses all those present: "And may the mercies of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you all."
A petitionary litany begins: “All the saints who have remembered, again and again, let us pray to the Lord in peace.” That is, having remembered all the saints, let us again pray to the Lord. After the litany, the priest proclaims: “And vouchsafe us, Vladyka, with boldness (boldly, as children ask their father) to dare (to dare) to call upon you the Heavenly God the Father and speak.”

Prayer "Our Father..."

The prayer “Our Father ...” is usually sung after this by the whole temple

With the words “Peace to all,” the priest once again blesses the faithful.

The deacon, standing at this time on the pulpit, girds himself crosswise with an orarion, so that, firstly, it would be more convenient for him to serve the priest during Communion, and secondly, in order to express his reverence for the Holy Gifts, in imitation of the seraphim.

At the exclamation of the deacon: “Let us attend,” the veil of the Royal Doors twitch in remembrance of the stone that was nailed to the Holy Sepulcher. The priest, raising the Holy Lamb over the diskos, loudly proclaims: “The Holy One to the Holy Ones.” In other words, the Holy Gifts can only be given to saints, that is, to believers who have sanctified themselves through prayer, fasting, the Sacrament of Repentance. And, realizing their unworthiness, believers answer: "There is one holy, one Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father."

First, the clergy take communion in the altar. The priest breaks the Lamb into four parts as it was incised on the proskomedia. The part with the inscription “IC” is lowered into the bowl, and heat is poured into it, that is hot water, as a reminder that believers, under the guise of wine, accept the true Blood of Christ.

The other part of the Lamb with the inscription “XC” is intended for the communion of the clergy, and the parts with the inscriptions “NI” and “KA” are for the communion of the laity. These two parts are cut with a copy according to the number of those who take communion into small parts, which are lowered into the Chalice.

While the clergy take communion, the choir sings a special verse, which is called "communion", as well as some chant suitable for the occasion. Russian church composers wrote many spiritual works that are not included in the canon of worship, but are performed by the choir at this particular time. Usually a sermon is delivered at the same time.

Finally, the Royal Doors are opened for the communion of the laity, and the deacon, with the Holy Cup in his hands, says: “Come with the fear of God and faith.”

The priest reads a prayer before Holy Communion, and the faithful repeat it to themselves: “I believe, Lord, and I confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came into the world to save sinners, from whom I am the first. I also believe that This is Your Most Pure Body and This is Your Most Honorable Blood. I pray to Thee: have mercy on me and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, even in word, even in deed, even in knowledge and ignorance, and make me worthy to partake without condemnation of Your Most Pure Mysteries, for the remission of sins and eternal life. Amen. Thy secret supper today, Son of God, accept me as a partaker, not for Thy enemy we will sing a secret, nor will I give kisses to Thee, like Judas, but, like a robber, I confess Thee: remember me, Lord, in Thy Kingdom. May the communion of Your Holy Mysteries, O Lord, not be for judgment or condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.

The communicants make a prostration and, folding their arms crosswise on their chests ( right hand on top of the left), reverently approach the cup, calling the priest their Christian name given at baptism. There is no need to be baptized in front of the cup, because you can push it with a careless movement. The choir sings “Take the body of Christ, taste the source of the immortal”.

After communion, they kiss the lower edge of the Holy Chalice and go to the table, where they drink warmth (church wine mixed with hot water) and get a particle of prosphora. This is done so that not a single smallest particle of the Holy Gifts remains in the mouth and so as not to immediately proceed to the usual everyday food. After everyone takes communion, the priest brings the cup into the altar and lowers into it the particles taken out of the service and brought prosphora with a prayer that the Lord would wash away the sins of all those who were commemorated at the liturgy with His Blood.

Then he blesses the believers, who sing: “We have seen the true light, received the Spirit of heaven, we have found the true faith, we worship the indivisible Trinity: She saved us.”

The deacon transfers the diskos to the altar, and the priest, taking the Holy Chalice in his hands, blesses the worshipers with it. This last appearance of the Holy Gifts before being transferred to the altar reminds us of the Ascension of the Lord into heaven after His Resurrection. Bowing for the last time to the Holy Gifts, as to the Lord Himself, the faithful thank Him for Communion, and the choir sings a song of thanksgiving: “May our lips be filled with Your praise, Lord, as if we sing Your glory, as if You made us worthy to partake of Your Holy Divine, immortal and life-giving Mysteries; keep us about Your holiness, all day long learn from Your righteousness. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia."

The deacon pronounces a short litany in which he thanks the Lord for Communion. The priest, having risen to the Holy See, folds the antimension on which stood the chalice and diskos, and places the altar Gospel on it.

By proclaiming loudly “Let us go in peace,” he shows that the liturgy is ending, and soon the faithful can go home quietly and in peace.

Then the priest reads the prayer behind the ambo (because it is read behind the pulpit) “Bless those who bless Thee, O Lord, and sanctify those who trust in Thee, save Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, preserve the fulfillment of Thy Church, sanctify those who love the splendor of Thy house, You glorify those who are Divine Thy strength and do not leave us who trust in You. Grant peace to Thy world, to Thy Churches, to the priest and to all Thy people. As every gift is good and every gift is perfect from above, descend from Thee, the Father of lights. And we send glory to you, and thanksgiving, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever.

The choir sings: "Be the name of the Lord blessed from now on and forever."

The priest blesses the worshipers for the last time and pronounces dismissal with a cross in his hand facing the temple. Then everyone approaches the cross in order to kiss it to confirm their fidelity to Christ, in whose remembrance the Divine Liturgy was performed.

Life in the Church is a grace-filled communion with God - love, unity and a spiritual path to salvation. Not everyone knows what a liturgy is.

The Divine Liturgy is more than prayer. It is an action both general and personal. The liturgy includes a structure that includes prayers and readings from pages of holy books, festive rites and choral singing, in which all parts are tied together. Understanding worship requires spiritual and intellectual effort. Without knowledge of the rules, regulations and rules, it is difficult to experience a new, wonderful life in Christ.

History of the Divine Liturgy

At the hour of the main and most important service for believers, the Sacraments of the Eucharist, or. sacrament of communion done for the first time by our Lord Himself. This happened on Maundy Thursday before his voluntary ascension to Golgotha ​​for our sins.

On this day, the Savior gathered the apostles, raised a eulogy to God the Father, blessed the bread, broke it and distributed it to the holy apostles.

committing Sacraments of Thanksgiving or Eucharist, Christ commanded the apostles. They spread the covenant around the world and taught the clergy to perform the liturgy, which is sometimes represented by mass, since it begins at dawn and is served until noon, before dinner.

Eucharist- this is a Bloodless sacrifice, because Jesus Christ brought a blood sacrifice for us on Calvary. The New Testament abolished the Old Testament sacrifices, and now, remembering the sacrifice of Christ, Christians offer God a bloodless sacrifice.

The Holy Gifts symbolize the fire that burns sin and filth.

There were cases when spiritual people, ascetics at the hour of the Eucharist saw the manifestation of heavenly fire, which descended on the blessed Holy Gifts.

The origin of the liturgy is the Sacrament of Great Holy Communion or the Eucharist. Since ancient times, it has been called the liturgy or the common service.

How the main liturgical rites were formed

The rite of the Divine Liturgy was formed not at once. Starting from the second century, a special observance of each service began to appear.

• At first, the apostles performed the Sacrament according to the order shown by the Teacher.
• During the time of the apostles, the Eucharist was combined with the meals of love, during the hours at which the faithful ate food, prayed and were in fraternal communion. The breaking of bread, communion was performed after.
• Later, the liturgy became an independent sacred action, and the meal was performed after a joint ritual action.

What are the liturgies

Different communities began to lay down liturgical rites in their own image.

The Jerusalem community served the Liturgy of the Apostle James.

In Egypt and Alexandria, they preferred the Liturgy of the Apostle Mark.

In Antioch they celebrated the Liturgy of the Holy Enlightener John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great.

The same in meaning and original meaning, they differ in the content of the prayers that the priest pronounces during the consecration.

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates three types of liturgy:

Saint of God, John Chrysostom. It takes place on all days except the Great. John Chrysostom shortened the prayer appeals of St. Basil the Great. Gregory Dvoeslov. Saint Basil the Great very much asked the Lord for permission to celebrate the Divine Liturgy not according to the prayer book, but in his own words.

After spending six days in fervent prayer, Basil the Great was granted permission. The Orthodox Church celebrates this liturgy ten times a year:

• When is celebrated Christ's Christmas and on Holy Baptism on Christmas Eve.
• In honor of the celebration of the memory of the saint, which takes place on January 14th.
• On the first five Sundays of Lent before Easter, on Great Maundy Thursday and Great Holy Saturday.

The Divine Liturgy on the Holy Presanctified Gifts, composed by St. Gregory the Dialogist, is served during the hours of Holy Forty Days. According to the rules of the Orthodox Church, Wednesday and Friday of Great Lent are marked by the liturgical rules of the Presanctified Gifts, which are consecrated on Sunday during Communion.

In some localities Orthodox Churches serve the Divine Liturgy to the holy Apostle James. It takes place on October 23, the day of his memory.

The central prayer of the Divine Liturgy is Anaphora or a repeated petition to God to perform a miracle, which consists in the application of wine and bread, symbolizing the Blood and Body of the Savior.

Anaphora, translated from Greek means "ascension". During the pronunciation of this prayer, the clergyman "lifts up" the Eucharistic Gift to God the Father.

There are a number of rules in Anaphora:

1. Praefatio is the first prayer, which contains thanksgiving and glorification to God.
2. Sanctus, translated saint, the anthem "Holy ..." sounds.
3. Anamnesis, in Latin remembrance matters, here the Last Supper is remembered with the fulfillment of the secret words of Christ.
4. Epiclesis or invocation is the invocation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit upon the lying ones.
5. Intercessio, intercession or intercession - prayers are heard for the living and the dead, remembrance of the Virgin and saints.

In large churches, Divine Liturgy takes place daily. The duration of the service is from one and a half to two hours.

Liturgies are not held on the following days.

Celebration of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts:

• Preparation of the substance for the creation of the Eucharist.
• Preparation of believers for the Sacrament.

The performance of the Sacrament, or the act of consecrating the Holy Gifts and Communion of the faithful. The Divine Liturgy is divided into three parts:

• the beginning of the sacrament;
• liturgy of catechumens or unbaptized and penitents;
• liturgy of the faithful;
• Proskomidia or offering.

Members of the first Christian community brought bread and wine themselves before the Liturgy for the Sacrament. The bread that believers eat during the celebration of the liturgy is called in church language prosphora, which means offering. Currently in Orthodox church The Eucharist is celebrated on prosphora, which is prepared from yeast dough kvass mix.

Sacraments

In the sacrament of the proskomedia, five prosphora are used in tribute to the memory of the miracle of feeding 5,000 people by Christ.

For communion, one "lamb" prosphora is used, and the proskomidia is done at the beginning of the rite in the altar while reading the hours. The proclamation “Blessed be our God also”, which precedes 3 and 6 hours, is associated with the coming of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the crucifixion and death of the Savior Christ.

The third hour is the initial exclamation of the proskomedia.

Liturgy of the Hours

The Divine Liturgy of the Hours is a prayer that is said on behalf of the entire People of God. Reading the prayer of the hours is the main duty of the priests and those who must pray for the prosperity of the Church. The Liturgy of the Hours is called the voice of the Teacher Christ. Every believer should unite in choral laudation which in the liturgy of the Hours is continually raised up to God. By church traditions The Liturgy of the Hours is not obligatory for parishioners, but the Church advises the laity to participate in the reading of the Liturgy of the Hours or read the Hours on their own according to the prayer book.

Modern church practice suggests that in the Third and Sixth hours of the reading, the priest performs a proskomedia on the altar.

Proskomidia is an important and main component of the Divine Liturgy, it is celebrated on the altar, because the Gifts of consecration carry a special symbolic meaning.

The priest with a copy cuts a cubic shape from the middle of the Lamb prosphora. The carved part is called the Lamb and testifies that the Lord, as the Lamb immaculate in his essence, laid himself to the slaughter for our sins.

The preparation of the Gifts has several main meanings:

• Memories of the birth of the Savior.
• His coming into the world.
• Golgotha ​​and burial.

The prepared Lamb and the parts that are taken out of the other four prosphora signify the fullness of the heavenly and earthly Church. The cooked Lamb relies on a golden platter, a paten.

AT second prosphora n destined for the worship of Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A triangular-shaped particle is cut out of it and placed to the right of the particle of the Lamb.

third prosphora form as a tribute:

• John the Baptist and the holy prophets,
• apostles and blessed saints,
• great martyrs, unmercenaries and Orthodox saints who are remembered on the day of the celebration of the liturgy,
• righteous holy parents of the Theotokos, Joachim and Anna.

The next two prosphora are for the health of the living and the repose of the departed Christians, for this, believers put notes on the altar and the people whose names are written in them are honored with the removed particle.

All particles have a certain place on the diskos.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the parts that were cut from the prosphora at the hour of sacrifice, poured out by the priest into the Holy Chalice. Further, the request of the clergyman to the Lord sounds, to take away the sins of the people mentioned during the Proskomedia.

Second part or liturgy of the catechumens

In ancient times, people, in order to receive holy baptism, had to carefully prepare: study the foundations of faith, go to church, but they could get to the liturgy only until the Gifts were transferred from the altar to the church throne. At this time, catechumens and excommunicated for grave sins from the Sacrament of the Holy, had to go to the porch of the temple.

In our time, there is no announcement and preparation for the holy Sacrament of Baptism. Today people are baptized after 1 or 2 conversations. But the catechumens who are preparing to enter into Orthodox faith, there is.

This action of the liturgy is called the great or peaceful litany. It reflects aspects of human existence. Believers lay down a prayer: about the world, the health of the holy churches, the temple where the service is held, a prayer word in honor of the bishops and deacons, about the native country, the authorities and its soldiers, about the purity of the air and the abundance of fruits needed for food and health. They ask God for help for travelers, the sick and those in captivity.

After the peaceful litany, psalms are heard, which are called antiphons, because they are alternately performed on two kliros. When singing the gospel commandments of the Sermon on the Mount, the royal doors open, there is a small entrance with the Holy Gospel.

clergyman raises the gospel, thus marks the cross, saying: “Wisdom, forgive!”, As a reminder that one should be attentive to prayer. Wisdom carries the Gospel, which is taken out of the altar, symbolizing Christ's coming out to preach with the Good News for the whole world. After this there is a reading of pages from the Epistle of the Holy Apostles, or the book of the Acts of the Apostles, or the Gospel.

Reading the Holy Gospel ends with a special or intensified litany. At the hour of the litany, the clergyman opens the antimension on the throne. Here are prayers for the deceased, a request to God for the forgiveness of their sins and their placement in the heavenly abode, where the righteous are.

After the phrase “Catechumens, come out,” the unbaptized and penitent people left the temple, and the main sacrament of the Divine Liturgy began.

Liturgy of the Faithful

After two short litanies, the choir sings the Cherubic Hymn and the transfer of the consecrated Gifts by the priest and deacon takes place. It says that around the Lord there is an angelic army, which constantly glorifies Him. This action is the Great entrance. The earthly and heavenly Church celebrate the Divine Liturgy together.

The clergy enter the royal doors to the altar, places the Holy Chalice and paten on the throne, cover the Gifts with a veil or air, and the choir sings the song of the Cherubim. The Great Entrance is a symbol of the solemn procession of Christ to Golgotha ​​and death.

After the transfer of the Gifts has taken place, the litany of petition begins, which prepares the parishioners for the most important part of the liturgy, for the sacrament of the consecration of the Holy Gifts.

All gathered sing the prayer "Symbol of Faith".

The choir begins to sing the Eucharistic canon.

The Eucharistic prayers of the priest and the singing of the choir alternate. The clergyman tells about the establishment by Jesus Christ of the great Sacrament of Communion before His voluntary sufferings. The words that the Savior spoke during the Last Supper are reproduced by the priest loudly, at the top of his voice, pointing to the paten and the holy Chalice.

Next comes the Sacrament of Communion:

In the altar, the clergy crush the holy Lamb, take communion and prepare the Gifts for the faithful:

1. the royal doors open;
2. the deacon comes out with the holy chalice;
3. the opening of the church royal doors - a symbol of the opening of the Holy Sepulcher;
4. the carrying out of the Gifts speaks of the appearance of the Lord after the resurrection.

Before communion, the clergyman reads a special prayer, and the parishioners repeat the text in an undertone.

All those who take communion bow down to the ground, fold their hands in a cross on their chests and call the name received at baptism near the bowl. When communion has taken place, it is necessary to kiss the edge of the Chalice and go to the table, where give prosphora and church wine diluted with hot water.

When all those present have received communion, the chalice is brought into the altar. Parts that were taken out of those brought and service and prosphora with a prayer to the Lord are lowered into it.

The priest then reads the blessed speech to the faithful. This is the last appearance of the Holy Gifts. Then they are transferred to the altar, which once again recalls the Ascension of the Lord to heaven after his Holy Resurrection. For the last time, believers worship the Holy Gifts, as if to the Lord, and thank Him for Communion, and the choir sings a song of thanksgiving.

At this time, the Deacon puts a short prayer, giving thanks to the Lord for Holy Communion. The priest puts the antimension and the altar Gospel on the Holy See.

Loudly proclaiming the end of the liturgy.

End of Divine Liturgy

Then the clergyman says the prayer behind the ambo, and for the last time gives a blessing to the praying parishioners. At this hour, he holds the cross facing the temple and lays down the leave.

Church word "Let go" comes from the meaning of "let go". It contains a blessing and a short petition from God for mercy by the clergy of the Orthodox people.

Leaves are divided not small and great. The Great Holiday complements the commemoration of the saints, as well as the day, the church itself, and the authors of the liturgy. On Holidays of holidays and Great days of the Easter week: Maundy Thursday, Friday, Holy Saturday, the main events of the holiday are commemorated.

Release order:

The priest proclaims:

1. "Wisdom", which means, let's be careful.
2. Then, there is an appeal to the Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos.
3. Thanks be to God for the service you are doing.
4. Further, the clergyman pronounces the dismissal, referring to the parishioners.
5. After that, the choir performs many years.

The Liturgy and the main Sacrament served by Holy Communion is a privilege of Orthodox Christians. Since antiquity, weekly or daily Communion was provided.

Those who wish to receive Communion during the Liturgy of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must cleanse their conscience. Before Communion a liturgical fast must be performed. The meaning of the main Mystery of Confession is described in the prayer book.

Preparing for the Privileges of the Sacrament

He prays to work diligently at home and attend church services as often as possible.

On the eve of the communion itself, you need to visit the evening service in the Temple.

On the eve of the sacrament read:

• The following, which is spelled out in the prayer book for the Orthodox.
• Three canons and: the canon of the penitent to Jesus Christ our Lord, the prayer to the Most Holy Mother of God and her Guardian Angel.
• During the celebration of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, which lasts strictly forty days, instead of them, the priest blesses to turn to the Easter canons.

Before Communion, the believer needs to keep a liturgical fast. He, in addition to restrictions on food and drink, suggests abandoning all kinds of entertainment.

On the eve of the sacrament, from twelve o'clock in the afternoon, perform complete refusal of food.

Before communion, Confession is obligatory, to open the soul to God, to repent and be affirmed in the desire to improve.

At confession, one should tell the priest about everything that lies on the soul as a heavy burden, but do not make excuses and do not shift the blame onto others.

The most correct take confession in the evening in order to participate in the Divine Liturgy with a pure soul in the morning.

After Holy Communion, until the hour when the kissing of the altar cross, which the priest holds in his hands, takes place, you cannot leave. One should listen with penetrating words of thanksgiving prayers, which mean a lot to every believer.