What time is the liturgy. What is a "polyle"? Why is there no common confession

Public worship or, as the people say, church services - this is the main thing for which our churches are intended. Every day, the Orthodox Church celebrates evening, morning and afternoon services in churches. Each of these divine services consists, in turn, of three types of divine services, collectively united in a daily circle of divine services:

evening - from the 9th hour, Vespers and Compline;

morning - from Midnight Office, Matins and the 1st hour;

daytime - from the 3rd hour, the 6th hour and the Divine Liturgy.

Thus, the entire daily circle consists of nine services.

In Orthodox worship, much is borrowed from the worship of the Old Testament times. For example, the beginning of a new day is considered not midnight, but six o'clock in the evening. That is why the first service of the daily cycle is Vespers.

At Vespers, the Church remembers the main events sacred history Old Testament: about the creation of the world by God, the fall of the forefathers, about the Mosaic legislation and the ministry of the prophets. Christians give thanks to the Lord for the day they have lived.

After Vespers, according to the Church Rule, it is necessary to serve Compline. In a certain sense, these are public prayers for the future, at which the descent of Christ into hell and the liberation of the righteous from the power of the devil are remembered.

At midnight, it is supposed to perform the third service of the daily circle - the Midnight Office. This service was established to remind Christians of the Second Coming of the Savior and the Last Judgment.

Before sunrise, Matins is served - one of the longest services. It is dedicated to the events of the Savior's earthly life and contains many prayers of repentance and thanksgiving.

About seven o'clock in the morning they make the 1st hour. This is the name of a short service at which the Orthodox Church recalls the stay of Jesus Christ at the trial of the high priest Caiaphas.

The 3rd hour (nine o'clock in the morning) is served in remembrance of the events that took place in the Zion room, where the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, and in Pilate's praetorium, where the Savior was sentenced to death.

The 6th hour (noon) is the time of the crucifixion of the Lord, and the 9th hour (three o'clock in the afternoon) is the time of His death on the cross. These events are dedicated to the above services.

The main divine service of the Orthodox Church, a kind of center of the daily circle, is Divine Liturgy. Unlike other services, the liturgy provides an opportunity not only to remember God, the entire earthly life of the Savior, but also to really unite with Him in the sacrament of Communion, established by the Lord Himself during the Last Supper. In terms of time, the liturgy should be performed between the 6th and 9th hours, before noon, in the pre-dinner time, which is why it is also called Mass.

Modern liturgical practice has brought its own changes to the prescriptions of the Charter. So in parish churches, Compline is celebrated only during Great Lent, and Midnight Office - once a year, on the eve of Easter. The 9th hour is also served extremely rarely. The remaining six services of the daily cycle are combined into two groups of three services.

In the evening, Vespers, Matins, and the 1st hour are performed one after another. Sunday eve and public holidays these services are combined into one divine service, called the all-night vigil. In ancient times, Christians did often pray until dawn, that is, they stayed awake throughout the night. Modern all-night vigils last two to four hours in parishes and three to six hours in monasteries.

In the morning, the 3rd hour, the 6th hour and the Divine Liturgy are served in succession. In churches with a large parish on Sundays and holidays, there are two liturgies - early and late. Both are preceded by reading hours.

On those days when the liturgy is not supposed to (for example, on Friday Holy Week), a brief succession of pictorial ones takes place. This divine service consists of some chants of the liturgy and, as it were, “depicts” it. But the fine arts do not have the status of an independent service.

Divine services also include the performance of all the sacraments, rites, the reading of akathists in the church, communal readings of morning and evening prayers, rules for Holy Communion.

It is noteworthy that many of those who attend divine services may not at all understand the meaning and deep meaning of the Divine Liturgy. The words spoken in the chant also remain misunderstood. A gap in this kind of knowledge deprives prayer of meaningfulness, therefore, when talking with God - our Heavenly Father - we must consciously approach this issue. Christians must understand the meaning of the words they hear and speak.

For many, going to church becomes almost a feat in the spiritual sense, because you have to wait a long time for your turn to confess, and then listen to the incomprehensible speeches of the churchman. In fact, when we come to the Church, we, in fact, find ourselves in the Upper Room of Zion, where we are waiting for our hour of spiritual purification.

You need to be ready for Orthodox worship, so that together with everyone, with one heart and mouth, we can sing the glory of the Lord. This article will reveal the meaning and give an explanation of this church service, tell about its origin, about what varieties there are, how they are performed, what is the order.

Divine Liturgy with explanations - download, listen online

There is also a wonderful lecture by Protodeacon Andrey Kuraev on the Divine Liturgy, in which a detailed explanation is given in intelligible language and easy style. Orthodox rite(understandable even for dummies in this matter).

Lectures by Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev, replete with explanations, can be found in video and audio format, watched and listened to online, and also downloaded. Such materials are recommended for familiarization both to people starting their Orthodox path and to churchgoers.

The divine liturgy should not be confused with the funeral service, which is called requiem. This service differs in that it commemorates the dead, is served on the day of the death of the deceased, also on the 3rd, 9th, 40th day, and on every anniversary after death, on birthdays, name days.

A memorial service can be served both in church by a priest and at home by a layman. During this service, trusting in the mercy of God, the Lord asks for forgiveness of sins for the deceased and eternal life.

What is the liturgy in the church

This is the main Christian service, it is also called mass - the basis and center of the entire church world.

The purpose of this sacred tradition there is preparation for the sacrament of the Eucharist or Communion, which takes place at the end of the service.

The first Eucharist was celebrated by Jesus Christ on Maundy Thursday.

It is interesting: Maundy Thursday (aka Pure Thursday, Good Thursday) is the fourth day of Great Week. On this day, followers of the Christian faith remember the Last Supper. It was then that Jesus Christ performed the washing of the feet of the apostles and established the sacrament of Communion. Surrounded by his disciples, Christ blessed the bread, which is His Body, and the wine, which is His Blood, and said: “Take, eat: this is My Body” (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19 ).

It is during this main church service that the dead are commemorated according to the notes “For the Repose” and about health according to the notes “On Health”, which are served by Christians. It is recommended to submit notes before the start of the service, and preferably in the evening - at the evening service.

Origin of the Orthodox Liturgy

As mentioned earlier, the Eucharist forms the basis of liturgical worship. AT Ancient Greece there was such a thing as the Eucharist.

Translated from Greek into Russian, this word means "common cause." As history testifies, after the ascension of the Savior to heaven, the apostles, in remembrance of Him, broke bread.

In the future, the tradition was passed on to all followers of this religion. Christians, having accepted the teaching of the apostles, also began to perform this sacrament, and do so to this day.

The service itself has changed over time. If at first the liturgy was performed in the order that was established in the time of the Apostles (when communion was combined with meals, prayers and fellowship), then in modern realities the liturgy was separated from the meal and turned into an independent ritual. Sacred rites began to be held in churches and temples.

What are the liturgies

Liturgical rites vary depending on the venue. For example, in Israel, the rite of the Liturgy of the Apostle James was formed.

Essence and meaning various options of the sacred rite are absolutely united, and the difference lies in the prayer texts pronounced by the priests and priests.

I would like to note that in various churches two services are served at once - early and late. The first, as a rule, begins at about 7 o'clock in the morning, and the second - at 10 o'clock. Services are held in different aisles, different priests serve, confession takes place both at early and at late Mass.

This was done for the parishioners themselves - those who work can attend early services, as well as mothers and fathers of families can attend such services without children, and bring their household members to a late service. Thus, every believing Christian can enjoy prayerful communion with God.

Liturgy of the Apostle James

This rank refers to the Jerusalem type, compiled by the Apostle James. In the 1930s, the rank was also introduced in the Russian Orthodox Church, however, not in Russia, but abroad. After 40 years, this type of church service became widespread in the Moscow Patriarchate.

Today, divine services are performed in the Orthodox churches of our country several times a year.

The difference between this rite and others like it is the way the service is conducted for the laity. Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ takes place separately: first they partake of bread from the hands of a priest, and then from another minister they receive the Chalice of the Blood of Christ.

Such a service is performed on the day of remembrance of St. James - October 23, and is also served in the East and in some Russian churches.

Liturgy of the Apostle Mark

This rank belongs to the classical Alexandrian type. The features of worship in this case include conciseness, expressiveness, clarity.

Thanks to these qualities, the ceremony began to enjoy great popularity in several countries at once - at first it was performed in Alexandria, then in Egypt, and then in Italy, Armenia and Syria.

The conduct of the liturgy consists in the fact that first a procession of clergy is carried out (small entrance), then there are exclamatory prayers.

Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

This is one of three services performed in the Russian Orthodox Church, which include the liturgy of St. Basil the Great, on the basis of which the rite of John Chrysostom was compiled, and the liturgy of St. Gregory Dvoeslav.

Worship is carried out practically all year round, except for some special days.

Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great

Divine services are held 10 times a year, including Christmas and Epiphany.

The order of the service and the content of the service, with some exceptions, coincide with the previous rank.

Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Dialogist

This service is also called the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. This is explained by the fact that the Body and Blood are consecrated during this service, and then the parishioners and clergy take communion with them.

The Orthodox rite is performed on Wednesday and Friday of Great Lent.

The order of celebration of the full liturgy and its explanation

Before performing the main church service, the clergy must prepare themselves. Still not putting on any vestments, standing in the temple in front of the royal urates, the priests pray, reading the so-called "Entrance Prayers".

Then the ministers bow and kiss the icons of the Savior and Mother of God and recite the troparia.

After that, the priests secretly pray in front of the gates so that the Lord would strengthen them for the upcoming service. Then they bow to each other, to the holy icons and to the people, and enter the altar.

The service lasts about two hours and takes place mainly in morning hours. The duration, however, can be completely different, and in addition, services can be held even at night or in the evening.

As a rule, the ceremony is held on Sundays, as well as on holidays, on the days of the memory of the Saints and the celebration of icons. The whole ceremony of worship is a sequential series of actions, divided into several stages, having own names and carried out in accordance with certain rules.

The church service consists of three parts:

• proskomedia;
• the liturgy of the catechumens;
• liturgy of the faithful.

The Liturgy of St. Gregory the Dialogist does not belong to the full rites. The procedure and scheme for performing a full church service is as follows.

First, the clergy prepare the substance for the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist from bread and wine. Secondly, there is preparation for the Sacrament. And thirdly, the Eucharist is celebrated, during which the Holy Gifts are consecrated, and the Holy Communion worship participants.

Proskomedia

This is the first stage. The process consists in preparing and bringing the necessary attributes of worship - bread and wine. Proskomidia is performed on the altar during the reading of the hours (prayer blessings that sanctify a certain time of the day).

At the very beginning of the proskomedia, the ministers of the church put on a sacred robe and read the entrance prayers. Further, on the first prosphora, an image of a cross is made three times, a prayer is said. The middle is cut out of the prosphora in the form of a cube - the Lamb. It is placed on one of the liturgical vessels - paten.

Next, the priest pours wine into the chalice. Particles of five prosphora are placed on three sides. At the end, the clergyman covers the vessels with the Gifts with covers and "air" and asks God to bless the Gifts.

Liturgy of the catechumens

In ancient times, participation in church rites required serious long-term preparation. People had to study religious dogmas, attend church, but they had the right to read prayers during the church service only before bringing the Gifts from the altar to the throne.

First, prayer petitions are pronounced, psalms and troparia are sung. Further, the catechumens must leave the place of the Orthodox rite, since the main stage of the Divine Liturgy begins.

Liturgy of the Faithful

As soon as the call to the catechumens to leave the temple sounds, the third part of the service begins. Prayers are spoken, chants are sung. At the same time, the transfer of the Gifts to the throne takes place. This process was called the great move, which symbolizes the procession of the Savior to suffering and death.

Before the consecration of the Holy Gifts, a petitionary litany is pronounced. A litany is also pronounced, which prepares those present for communion, then the prayer "Our Father" is sung. Then comes the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ to all those who prepared for this and received the blessing of the clergyman.

It is important to know: in order to become a participant in the great sacrament of Communion, believers must go through a liturgical fast and clear their conscience - do not eat or drink after 00 hours the day before and come to confession.

After the Chalice is brought to the altar, a short litany is said. At the end of the church service, the priest calls for a blessing on the worshipers, the parishioners kiss the cross, and prayers of thanksgiving are read.

Conclusion

Such is the essence and order of the Divine service. Everyone who considers himself a member of the Christian faith must know everything about the liturgy and understand the meaning of all actions in order to conduct a dialogue with God and make his faith truly meaningful.

During the service, you need to carefully monitor its progress, be baptized and bow with all those present in the church. Before you put a candle or approach the icon, you should also cross yourself. When entering and leaving the church, they also bow and cross themselves. Service in the church does not tolerate fuss. Unnecessarily, they don’t leave it during the service, women come with their heads covered and modestly dressed, if possible, without makeup, it is strictly forbidden to go to the temple on the days of menstruation, this is a great sin.

Conducting services in accordance with the church charter

There is a church charter, according to which the daily service is held in the monasteries and must be held in the church. How long is the church service? First comes the morning service, then the Divine Liturgy. Evening service is around 6-7 pm.

A certain time of the day is not obligatory, but the service, by its purpose and content, is tied to a certain time of day, so the church adheres to holding services during the hours allotted to it. The duration of service is also not limited by any canons. There is a centuries-old custom of conducting a service, which averages from 1.5 to 2-3 hours.

Church services are divided into daily, weekly, and yearly services. Daily services go on throughout the day, then repeat, thus closing in a circle. The same thing happens with the septenary, with the yearly circles. Services do not have a specific ritual, only daily daily services are unchanged, this is the basis of worship.

How is the service in the church

Daily services are held daily. On the days of fasting, Great and others, not only service to God is performed, but also a service is held in the church with confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Jesus Christ. Large parishes, where he gathers for services a large number of believers can celebrate two liturgies a day. Rural parishioners go to services on Sundays and holidays.

How are the services in the church? It must be said that services are not performed one at a time. For example, a service dedicated to the Birth or Baptism (that is, an event that takes place once a year) is not separated into a separate service, but is combined with the services of the daily circle. The daily cycle includes weekly and yearly services. They are combined into one service, in which prayers, readings and chants are heard, which are associated with the days of the year and the week.

There are 9 types of church services in the church: In the morning - the 9th hour, evening service, Compline, then Midnight Office. Matins, and then by the hours: the first, third and sixth. In the evening, after the sixth hour - Divine Liturgy. The first hour joins morning prayer, but is a special service. All the services that should be held in the temple are usually seven.

All prayers, with the exception of "Our Father", were invented by people

The history of Christianity knows only one prayer, transmitted directly by Jesus Christ: "Our Father." Then the apostolic instructions gave recommendations for reading daily prayers. In the morning, at the third hour, at the sixth, at the ninth and in the evening. In the morning - in gratitude to the Lord, in the third because Christ received the sentence. The sixth hour is the hour of the crucifixion and the ninth hour is the hour of tribulation. Evening prayer- thanks be to God. Just as in ancient times the apostles praised Jesus Christ and the most significant events associated with his life and death, so today the tradition of worship in the temple is preserved.

Each of the listed services should be sent to the church daily and independently. But, condescending to the conditions of worldly life, the church holds morning and evening services twice a day, that is, in public churches they do not adhere to strict observance of the charter. In the monasteries, services are held in accordance with the church charter, as expected, seven times a day.

Jesus in his instructions to the apostles says that prayer must be sincere. Whatever the prayers written by others, a person always has the opportunity to turn to God directly, in his heart, and He will certainly hear a sincere prayer coming from the heart.

Liturgy (translated as “service”, “common cause”) is the main Christian service, during which the sacrament of the Eucharist is performed (preparation of Communion). 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 (I note that in order to take communion, you need to prepare specially: fast, subtract the canons, come to church completely on an empty stomach, t .e. do not eat or drink anything after 00-00 hours before the service).
Liturgy in simple words. Liturgy is the most important church service. This is the sacred action (church service) during which you can take communion in the church.

What is Mass in the Orthodox Church?
Liturgy is sometimes called mass, since it is usually supposed to be performed from dawn to noon, that is, in the pre-dinner time.

When, what time and on what days is the Liturgy held in the church?
In large churches and monasteries, Liturgy can take place daily. In smaller churches, Liturgy usually takes place on Sundays.
The beginning of the Liturgy is around 8-30, but it is different for each church. The duration of the service is 1.5–2 hours.

Why does the Liturgy take place (need) in the temple? What does Liturgy mean?
This holy Sacrament was instituted by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper with the Apostles, before His sufferings. He took bread into His most pure hands, blessed it, broke it and divided it to His disciples, saying: “Take, eat: this is My Body. "Then he took a cup of wine, blessed it and, giving it to the disciples, said: "Drink all of it from it: for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:26-28). Then the Savior gave the apostles, and in their person to all believers, the commandment to perform this Sacrament until the end of the world, in remembrance of His suffering, death and resurrection, for the closest union with Him of the faithful. He said, "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19).

What is the meaning and symbolic action of the Liturgy? What is the Liturgy?
The Liturgy commemorates the earthly life of Jesus Christ from birth to His ascension to Heaven, while the Eucharist itself expresses the earthly life of Christ.
Order of the Liturgy:
1. Proskomedia. First, everything necessary for the Sacrament of Communion is prepared - Proskomidi (translation - offering). The first part of the Liturgy "Proskomedia" is the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. The bread used on Proskomedia is called prosphora, which means "offering".
During Proskomedia, the priest prepares our gifts (prosphora). Five are used for Proskomidia. service prosphora(in remembrance of how Jesus Christ fed more than five thousand people with five loaves) as well as prosphora ordered by parishioners. For communion, one prosphora (Lamb) is used, which in its size should correspond to the number of communicants. The proskomidia is performed by the priest in an undertone on the Altar with the Altar closed. At this time, the third and sixth hours are read according to the Book of Hours (liturgical book).
Proskomidia, during which wine and bread (prosphora) are prepared for the Eucharist (Communion) and the souls of Christians living and dead are commemorated, for which the priest removes particles from the prosphora. At the end of the service, these particles are immersed in the Cup of Blood with the prayer "Wash away, O Lord, the sins of all those here remembered by Your Honorable Blood by the prayers of your saints." The commemoration of the living and the dead on Proskomedia is the most effective prayer. Proskomidia is performed by the clergy in the altar; the Hours are usually read in the temple at this time. (in order for the priest to read a prayer for your loved one, you need to submit a note to the candle shop before the Liturgy with the words "for the proskomedia")

2. The second part of the Liturgy is the Liturgy of the catechumens.
During the Liturgy of the catechumens (the catechumens are people preparing to receive Holy Baptism) we learn how to live according to the Commandments of God. It begins with the Great Litany (jointly intensified prayer), in which the priest or deacon reads short prayers about times of peace, about health, about our country, about our loved ones, about the Church, about the Patriarch, about travelers, about those in prison or in trouble. After each petition, the choir sings: "Lord have mercy."
After reading a series of prayers, the priest solemnly takes the Gospel out of the Altar through the northern gate and just as solemnly brings it into the Altar through royal doors. (The procession of the clergyman with the Gospel is called the small entrance and reminds the believers of the first exit of Jesus Christ to preach).
At the end of the singing, the priest with the deacon, who carries the gospel on the altar, goes to the pulpit (in front of the iconostasis). 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 believers that they will soon hear the Gospel reading, therefore they must stand straight and with attention (forgive - means directly).
The Apostle and the Gospel are read. When reading the Gospel, believers stand with their heads bowed, listening with reverence to the holy gospel.
Then, after reading the next series of prayers, the catechumens are invited to leave the temple (the catechumens go out).

3. The third part is the Liturgy of the faithful.
Before the Cherubic Hymn, the Royal Doors open and the deacon performs incense. After the fulfillment of the words: “Now let us lay aside all worldly cares ...” the priest solemnly takes out the Holy Gifts - bread and wine - from the northern gates of the Altar. Stopping at the Royal Doors, he prays for all those whom we especially remember, and, returning through the Royal Doors to the Altar, he places the Holy Gifts on the Throne. (The transfer of gifts from the Altar to the Throne is called the Great Entrance and marks the solemn procession of Jesus Christ to free suffering and death on the cross).
After the "Cherubim" a petitionary litany sounds and one of the main prayers is sung - "The Symbol of Faith" - which, together with the chanters, is performed by all the parishioners.
Then, after a series of prayers, the culmination of the Liturgy comes: The Holy Mystery of the Eucharist is celebrated - the transformation of bread and wine into the true Body and true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then the "Song of Praise to the Theotokos" and the petitionary litany are heard. The most important - "The Lord's Prayer" (Our Father ...) - is performed by all believers. After the "Lord's Prayer" the communion verse is sung. The Royal Doors open. The priest takes out the Chalice with the Holy Gifts (in some churches it is customary to kneel when taking out the chalices with Communion) and say: “Come with the fear of God and faith!”. The communion of believers begins.

What to do during communion? The communicants fold their hands on their chests, right over left. First the children receive communion, then the men, then the women. Approach the priest with a bowl, say the name, open your mouth. I put a piece of prosphora in wine into your mouth. It is necessary to kiss the cup in the hands of the priest. Then you need to eat the sacrament, go to the table and take a piece of prosphora there, eat it and then drink it down. It is necessary to seize and drink so that all the sacrament gets inside the body, and does not remain on the palate or in the teeth.

At the end of communion, the chanters sing a hymn of thanksgiving: "Let our lips be filled ..." and Psalm 33. Then the priest pronounces the dismissal (that is, the end of the Liturgy). Sounds "Many Years" and the parishioners kiss the Cross.
I draw your attention to the fact that after the sacrament it is necessary to read the “Prayers of Thanksgiving”.

Saint Righteous John (of Kronstadt): “…in us there is no true life without the source of life – Jesus Christ. The Liturgy is a treasury, a source of true life, because the Lord Himself is in it. The Master of life gives Himself as food and drink to those who believe in Him, and in abundance gives life to His communicants... Our Divine Liturgy, and especially the Eucharist, is the greatest and constant revelation of the love of God to us.”

The picture shows a photograph showing the image of Jesus Christ and the light from the icons during the Liturgy

What can not be done after Communion?
- After communion, you can not kneel in front of the icon
- You can not smoke, swear, but you must behave like a Christian.

ACCORDING TO THE MATERIALS OF THE ORTHODOX PRESS

The word "Liturgy" first appeared in Greece and meant a work done together. During the Divine service, the Sacrament of Communion is performed, when, after repentance and confession, the Orthodox partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus through the acceptance of pieces of prosphora and grape wine.

Christian Foundations of the Eucharist

Two thousand years ago, at the Last Supper, Christ left the commandment to take communion in memory of Him, eating bread and wine. Modern Christians partake of His Blood through this Sacrament performed during the Divine Liturgy.

The Divine Liturgy is the most important service

In former times, the Great Divine Liturgy was called mass, Catholics spend communion at Mass.

The first Christians in Jewish society were perceived as a sect, and therefore were persecuted. Bringing the gospel of Christ to the world, talking about the meaning of the Eucharist, the disciples of Jesus were constantly attacked by society, so often their services were held under the cloak of secrecy.

After ministering to the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul stood up for the proposal to admit newly converted Gentiles to communion without observing the Law of Moses on circumcision. At the first services, psalms were read almost daily, sermons were said, prayers were sung, and all services ended with the remembrance of the Last Supper. At common prayers, Christians broke bread every day and took wine, remembering the earthly life of the Savior.

Later this action will be called the Eucharist, which is the central part of the Divine service. Unlike Jews, Christians:

• renounced bloody sacrifices, accepting the only and final sacrifice, God's Lamb, Jesus Christ;
• can ordain any person on earth who has accepted Christianity, and not just Aaron's descendants;
• the whole world is chosen as the place of service;
• prayer services can be held both during the day and at night;
• introduced hours during the service.

liturgical hours

Prayers whose reading time is determined by the time of day are called hours. During these prayers, which last only a quarter of an hour, the maximum concentration of attention is required from those present in order to escape from the worldly bustle and feel God's presence in its entirety.

The Liturgical Hours is a special rite of prayers, which is read in the temple at a certain

After hours, which begin at six in the evening, there is a regular service.

Divine service begins with Vespers and Vespers, which begin at 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm respectively.

The night service ends at midnight, followed by Matins, beginning at 7 a.m., with the First Hour Prayer. The third hour is read at 9 a.m., the Sixth at 12.00, and the Ninth hour ends at 3 p.m. The Divine Liturgy is served from the Third to the Ninth Hours, although each church has its own schedule.

To the schedule prayer hours Posts, holidays and special dates make their own adjustments. For example, before the Holy Resurrection, the night vigil combines such services as Vespers, Compline, and Midnight Office.

Important! Divine Liturgy and Eucharist are not held on Good Friday.

Sequence of the Divine Liturgy

The sacrament of Communion in Orthodoxy is called the Eucharist, the service at which Communion is performed is the Liturgy. This word in Greek consists of two components, the first means public, comes from part of the word "lithos", the second - "ergos" in translation means service.

The liturgy, as a rule, is performed before dinner and consists of three parts:

• Proskomedia;
• Liturgy of the catechumens;
• Liturgy of the Faithful.

The origins of the great ministry began in early Christianity, changes occurred in the church itself, but both the foundation and the symbolism remained unchanged.

Items for the Liturgy

Divine services, during which the Eucharist is celebrated, take place almost daily, with the exception of some days during Great Lent, Christmas, on Wednesday and Friday of the week preceding Paschal abstinence and a few days, you can find out about them in the church schedule.

During the great divine service, the life of the Savior is remembered, starting from the Annunciation to His Resurrection.

Proskomedia

While reading the congratulations and prayer for the dead the doors of the altar are closed, behind them the priest prepares bread and grape wine for the Eucharist.

When the Great Gifts are ready, the Third and Sixth Hours are read, recalling all the prophecies from the Old Testament about the birth of the Messiah and the Nativity of Jesus itself. During the Proskomedia, the Saints, prophets and apostles who have gone to God are remembered.

Liturgy of the catechumens

The unusual name of this service comes from the fact that not only people who converted to Orthodoxy through Baptism were admitted to it, but also those who are preparing to do this, catechumens. This part of the Divine service is called upon to prepare those present to receive the Holy Gifts.

Antiphonal singing begins the second part of the service with the singing of “The Only Begotten Son”, then the priests bring out the gospel, after which the singing continues, the prokeimenon and the sermon begins.

Liturgy of the catechumens

The choir sings "Alleluia" and verses from the Psalter, after which the sermon is read again, which ends with a litany - a prayer petition. In this part, the service differs from the other two in that for each verse, “Amen” or “Lord, have mercy” is heard, after which the believers make the sign of the cross on themselves.

On a note! Previously, the catechumens left the temple, at present they remain in place, but only as observers, not participants.

Liturgy of the Faithful

The Cherubic Song sounds before the Great Procession, which opens the third part of the Divine Liturgy. Having opened the Royal Gates of the altar, the deacon, reading Psalm 50, makes a detour:

• throne;
• altar;
• iconostasis;
• priest;
• parishioners.

The holy gifts are transferred to the throne, after which the Royal Doors are closed and the "Creed" is read.

The Anaphora, read below, is the main part of the Liturgy. This is a Eucharistic prayer in which the Last Supper is remembered, the Holy Spirit is called and an intercessory petition is heard for the living and those who have gone to Heaven. During the Anaphora, the divine transformation of bread and wine into the Holy Gifts takes place - the Body of the Lord and His Blood.

Anaphora is a Eucharistic prayer recited by a priest

Communion begins after reading the Jesus Prayer "Our Father". Christians must fast for three days before receiving Communion. The Divine Liturgy is a symbol of the reproduction of the life of the Savior on earth, each action of the great service has its own meaning.

After the Eucharist, the deacon pronounces a short litany with thanksgiving to the Most High for Communion, after which the parishioners are released in peace to their homes.

Varieties of Liturgies according to the Byzantine Rite

Orthodox services include 5 great liturgies, only three of them are currently held. As the classic version described above, a divine service is held, founded by John Chrysostom.

Ten times during the year, the Liturgy of Basil the Great is performed, which is distinguished by longer prayers.

During Great Lent, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, written by Gregory the Dialogist, is heard. There is no Proskomidia at this service, the Eucharist is celebrated with previously consecrated bread and wine.

A number of parishes Orthodox Church the Great Divine Liturgy of James is held abroad, hallmark which are some permutations in anaphora.

The Apostle Mark composed the Liturgy, which received its veneration only in 2007 at the Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church; it is performed in some foreign Russian churches.

Explanation of the Divine Liturgy