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Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the
Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
ic service of the
Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, identifies the wide range of cultural, liturgical, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian Church of Constantinople. Th ...
, developed from the Antiochene Rite of
Christian liturgy Christian liturgy is a pattern for Christian worship, worship used (whether recommended or prescribed) by a Christian congregation or Christian denomination, denomination on a regular basis. The term liturgy comes from Greek and means "public wor ...
which is that of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox, the Greek Catholic Churches, and the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. Although the same term is sometimes applied in English to the Eucharistic service of Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, they use in their own language a term meaning "holy offering" or "holy sacrifice". Other churches also treat "Divine Liturgy" simply as one of many names that can be used, but it is not their normal term. The Greek Catholic and Orthodox Churches see the Divine Liturgy as transcending time and the world. All believers are seen as united in worship in the Kingdom of God along with the departed
saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...
and the angels of heaven. Everything in the liturgy is seen as symbolic, but not merely so, for it makes present the unseen reality. According to Eastern tradition and belief, the liturgy's roots go back to the adaptation of Jewish liturgy by
Early Christians Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish d ...
. The first part, termed the "Liturgy of the Catechumens", includes like a
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
service the reading of scriptures and, in some places, perhaps a sermon/homily. The second half, added later, is based on the Last Supper and the first Eucharistic celebrations by Early Christians. Eastern Christians believe that the Eucharist is the central part of the service in which they participate, as they believe the bread and wine truly become the real Body and Blood of Christ, and that by partaking of it they jointly become the Body of Christ (that is, the Church). Each Liturgy has its differences from others, but most are very similar to each other with adaptations based on tradition, purpose, culture and theology.


Byzantine Rite

Three Divine Liturgies are in common use in the
Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, identifies the wide range of cultural, liturgical, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian Church of Constantinople. Th ...
: * The
Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is the most celebrated divine liturgy in the Byzantine Rite. It is named after its core part, the anaphora attributed to Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople in the 5th century. History It ...
(
5th century The 5th century is the time period from 401 ( CDI) through 500 ( D) ''Anno Domini'' (AD) or Common Era (CE) in the Julian calendar. The 5th century is noted for being a period of migration and political instability throughout Eurasia. It saw the ...
), used on most days of the year and as a vesperal liturgy on the
Annunciation The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ang ...
. * The
Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great The Liturgy of Saint Basil or, more formally, the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great (Coptic: Ϯⲁ̀ⲛⲁⲫⲟⲣⲁ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲁ̀ⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲥ, ''Ti-anaphora ente pi-agios Basilios''), is a term for several ...
(
4th century The 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini/Common era) was the time period which lasted from 301 (Roman numerals, CCCI) through 400 (Roman numerals, CD). In the West, the early part of the century was shaped by Constantine the Grea ...
), used on the five Sundays of
Great Lent Great Lent, or the Great Fast, (Greek: Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή or Μεγάλη Νηστεία, meaning "Great 40 Days," and "Great Fast," respectively) is the most important fasting season of the church year within many denominat ...
and on Saint Basil's feast day (January 1). On the eves of the Nativity and Theophany and on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday, it is celebrated as a vesperal liturgy. In some traditions, Saint Basil's Liturgy is also celebrated on the Exaltation of the Life-giving Cross on September 14. In all, this liturgy is used 10 times during the liturgical year. * The
Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is a Byzantine Rite liturgical service which is performed on the weekdays of Great Lent wherein communion is received from Gifts (the Body and Blood of Christ) that are sanctified (consecrated) in advance, h ...
( 6th century) is used during
Great Lent Great Lent, or the Great Fast, (Greek: Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή or Μεγάλη Νηστεία, meaning "Great 40 Days," and "Great Fast," respectively) is the most important fasting season of the church year within many denominat ...
on Wednesdays, Fridays, and a handful of other occasions, and also on the first three days of Holy Week. Nowadays it is always celebrated as a vesperal liturgy; the Liturgy of the Faithful has no Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer), the Holy Gifts having been consecrated and reserved ("presanctified") at a previous Divine Liturgy. It is traditionally attributed to St. Gregory the Dialogist, although some scholars believe it originated with Patriarch
Severus of Antioch Severus the Great of Antioch (Greek: Σεβῆρος; syr, ܣܘܝܪܝܘܣ ܕܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ), also known as Severus of Gaza or Crown of Syrians (Syriac: ܬܓܐ ܕܣܘܪܝܥܝܐ; Tagha d'Suryoye; Arabic: تاج السوريين; Taj al-Suriyyun ...
. As well as these, there are two others that are used locally and rarely, the
Liturgy of St. James The Liturgy of Saint James is a form of Christian liturgy used by some Eastern Christians of the Byzantine rite and West Syriac Rite. It is developed from an ancient Egyptian form of the Basilean anaphoric family, and is influenced by the tradit ...
and the Liturgy of Saint Mark.


The Hierarchical Liturgy

As numbers in a diocese increased dramatically, the bishop who presides over the Eucharistic assembly appointed presbyters to act as celebrants in the local communities (the parishes). Still, the Church is understood in Eastern Orthodoxy in terms not of the presbyter, but the diocesan bishop. When the latter celebrates the liturgy personally, the service is more complex and festive. To demonstrate unity with the greater Orthodox community, the hierarch commemorates the hierarch he is subordinate to or, if he is head of an autocephalous church, he commemorates all his peers, whose names he reads from a diptych.


Typical structure

:''Note: Psalms are numbered according to the Greek Septuagint. For the Hebrew Masoretic numbering that is more familiar in the West, usually add '1'. (See the main Psalms article for an exact correspondence table.)'' The format of Divine Liturgy is fixed, although the specific readings and hymns vary with season and feast. The Divine Liturgy consists of three interrelated parts; when not in conjunction with vespers, the liturgies of John Chrysostom and Basil the Great are structured thus: * the Liturgy of Preparation, which includes the entry and vesting prayers of the priests and deacons and the Prothesis; * the Liturgy of the Catechumens, so called because traditionally this is the only part they may attend; * the Liturgy of the Faithful, so called because in ancient times only baptized members in good standing were allowed to participate. In modern times, this restriction applies only to Holy Communion – reception of the
sacrament A sacrament is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments ...
of
holy communion The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
. A typical celebration of the Byzantine Liturgy consists of:


Liturgy of Preparation

''This part of the Liturgy is private, performed only by the priest and deacon. It symbolizes the hidden years of Christ's earthly life.'' * Entrance and vesting prayers, the sacred servers (priests and deacons) enter the church, venerate the icons and put on their vestments. * Liturgy of Preparation – the priest and deacon prepare the bread and wine for the
Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
(see prosphora) at the Table of Oblation (Prothesis), concluding with the "great censing" when the deacon(s) cense the entire church. *
Kairos Kairos ( grc, καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning 'the right, critical, or opportune moment'. In modern Greek, ''kairos'' also means 'weather' or 'time'. It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for 'time'; the other bei ...
– a preliminary dialog takes place between the priest and the deacon.


Liturgy of the Catechumens

This is the public part of the Liturgy, in which both catechumens and baptized faithful would be in the nave:
* Opening blessing ** The deacon exclaims, "Bless, Master!" **The priest, raising the Gospel Book and making the
sign of the cross Making the sign of the cross ( la, signum crucis), or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. This blessing is made by the tracing of an upright cross or + across the body with ...
with it over the Altar, proclaims: "Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages", to which the response is "Amen."
When the liturgy is at the usual time (following matins or the sixth hour), this order is followed:
* Great Litany, beginning with the deacon proclaiming, "In peace, let us pray to the Lord", to which the response is "Lord, have mercy." * First Antiphon (often Psalm 102, unless there are Festal antiphons, in which case the refrain is "Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us.") *
Little Litany An ektenia (from el, ἐκτενής , translit=ektenés; literally, "diligence"), often called by the better known English word litany, consists of a series of petitions occurring in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic liturgies. The pr ...
* Second Antiphon (often Psalm 145, unless there are Festal antiphons, in which case the refrain is typically "O Son of God who... haracteristic phrase from the Introit..save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!") * "Only-Begotten Son" * Little Litany * Third Antiphon (often the
Beatitudes The Beatitudes are sayings attributed to Jesus, and in particular eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and four in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, followed by four woes which mirr ...
with Troparia from either the Octoechos or the Canon(s) sung at Matins, unless there are Festal antiphons, in which case the refrain is the troparion of the feast) * Small Entrance – procession with the Gospel Book * Entrance hymn (Introit), made up of two parts: # "O come let us worship and fall down before Christ", or a Psalm verse on feasts. # The refrain of the second antiphon, sung as "who art risen from the dead" on Sunday and "who art wondrous in Thy saints" on weekdays with no feast. * Troparia and
Kontakia The kontakion (Greek , plural , ''kontakia'') is a form of hymn performed in the Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic liturgical traditions. The kontakion originated in the Byzantine Empire around the 6th century and is closely associated with Sain ...
**Hymns commemorating specific
saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
s or feasts, as appropriate to the liturgical calendar and local custom
But when the liturgy is joined to vespers (on
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
, Theophany Eve, the feast of the
Annunciation The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ang ...
(except when these days fall on Saturday or Sunday (or, in Annunciation's case, during Easter Week)), Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday) after the Old testament readings the Little Litany is said and the liturgy continues from this point:
* Trisagion, the "Thrice-Holy" hymn (or on certain days, another hymn): **On
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
, Theophany, Lazarus Saturday, Holy Saturday,
Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
and
Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Ne ...
(and certain days in their Afterfeasts), we sing "As many as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia!" (Galatians 3:26) **On
Feasts of the Cross In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. Unlike Good Friday, which is dedicated to the passion of Christ and the crucifixion, the ...
, we sing "We venerate Thy Cross, O Master, and we glorify Thy Resurrection." *
Prokeimenon In the liturgical practice of the Orthodox Church and Byzantine Rite, a prokeimenon (Greek , plural ; sometimes /; lit. 'that which precedes') is a psalm or canticle refrain sung responsorially at certain specified points of the Divine Liturgy or ...
*
Epistle An epistle (; el, ἐπιστολή, ''epistolē,'' "letter") is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as par ...
Reading(s) * Alleluia, with verses * Gospel Reading(s) ** A sermon may be given here. * Litany of Fervent Supplication – "Let us all say with our whole soul and with our whole mind…" * Litany for the Departed – this is not said on Sundays, Great Feasts or during the Paschal season * Litany of the Catechumens and Dismissal of the Catechumens


Liturgy of the Faithful

In the early Church, only baptized members who could receive Holy Communion were allowed to attend this portion of the Liturgy. In common contemporary practice, with very few local exceptions (e.g.,
Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
), all may stay. However, in most places, catechumens are formally dismissed for further study.
* First Litany of the Faithful * Second Litany of the Faithful * Cherubikon chanted as spiritual representatives (or icons) of the angels ** Replaced on Maundy Thursday with "Of Thy Mystical Supper..." ** Replaced on Holy Saturday with " Let all mortal flesh keep silence..." * Great Entrance – procession taking the chalice and diskos (paten) from the Table of Oblation to the altar * Litany of Completion – "Let us complete our prayer to the Lord" * The Kiss of Peace * Symbol of Faith (the
Nicene Creed The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...
) * Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) ** Exclamation by the deacon: "Let us stand up ight..." ** Blessing by the priest and Sursum Corda ("Let us lift up our hearts..." (Greek: "Ἄνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας") **The ''Epinikios Hymnos'' or Sursum Corda">ight..." ** Blessing by the priest and Sursum Corda ("Let us lift up our hearts..." (Greek: "Ἄνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας") **The ''Epinikios Hymnos'' or Sanctus ("Holy, Holy, Holy…") ** The Eucharistic Canon, containing the Anamnesis (memorial of Christ's Incarnation, death, and Resurrection, and the Anamnesis (Christianity)">Anamnesis (memorial of Christ's Incarnation, death, and Resurrection, and the Words of Institution) ** Epiklesis">Words of Institution">Anamnesis (Christianity)">Anamnesis (memorial of Christ's Incarnation, death, and Resurrection, and the Words of Institution) ** Epiklesis The calling down of the Holy Spirit upon the Holy Gifts (bread and wine) to change them into the Body and Blood of Christ ** Commemoration of Saints, interrupted by *** The Theotokion (hymn to the Theotokos), usually Axion Estin, It is Truly Meet (Ἀξιόν ἐστιν) unless it is the Liurgy of St. Basil, when "All of creation rejoices in thee..." is sung, or a feast, Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday, when the Irmos of Ode IX from the Canon at Matins is sung. ** Commemoration the dead in general, and of the living, concluding with of bishop and civil authorities – "Remember, O Lord…" * Litany of Supplication – "Having called to remembrance all the saints…" *
Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...
* Bowing of Heads * "Holy Things are for the Holy" * Communion Hymn, during which: ** Cutting the Lamb for the consumption by the clergy ** Communion of the priests and deacons ** Cutting the Lamb and putting the pieces into the chalice for the consumption by the congregation *
Holy Communion The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
of the faithful * "We have seen the true light" (occasionally replaced with the troparion of the feast) * "Let our mouths be filled with Thy praise, O Lord…" (occasionally replaced with the troparion of the feast) * Litany of Thanksgiving * Prayer behind the
Ambon Ambon may refer to: Places * Ambon Island, an island in Indonesia ** Ambon, Maluku, a city on Ambon Island, the capital of Maluku province ** Governorate of Ambon, a colony of the Dutch East India Company from 1605 to 1796 * Ambon, Morbihan, a co ...
** Any special services ( blessings,
memorial services A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect ...
, etc.) are normally said here * "Blessed be the name of the Lord..." (Psalm 112:2) * Psalm 33 * Dismissal ** A sermon is given here if it was not given after the Gospel
Almost all texts are chanted throughout the Divine Liturgy, not only hymns but litanies, prayers, creed confession and even readings from the Bible, depending on tradition. In ancient rubrics, and contemporary Greek practice, the sermon, Nicene Creed and the Lord's Prayer are spoken/read, rather than chanted. Slavic traditions chant or sing everything except the sermon.


Oriental Orthodox Churches

"Divine Liturgy" is the normal word that, in their own languages, followers of the
Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, identifies the wide range of cultural, liturgical, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian Church of Constantinople. Th ...
apply to their Eucharistic services but, while in English the same word (as also the word "Mass") is at times used to speak of the corresponding services of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the normal names used in those Churches refers either to the aspect of offering/sacrifice ('' Qurobo Alohoyo'' in the
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
), ''Badarak'' in the Armenian Apostolic Church, ''Prosfora'' in the
Coptic Orthodox Church The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي� ...
) or of sanctifying (''Keddase'' in the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...
). The Oriental Orthodox Churches own a richness of different liturgies, which are named after the anaphora (liturgy), anaphora included.


Coptic Liturgy

At present, the
Coptic Orthodox Church The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي� ...
and Coptic Catholic Church have three Liturgies: * The Liturgy of St. Basil (4th century) * The Liturgy of St Cyril, Liturgy of St. Mark the Apostle, this liturgy is also known as the Liturgy of St. Cyril * The Liturgy of St Gregory the Theologian The Liturgy of St. Basil is celebrated on most Sundays and contains the shortest anaphora. The Liturgy of St. Gregory is usually used during the feasts of the Church but not exclusively. In addition the clergy performing the liturgy can combine extracts of the Liturgies of St. Cyril and St. Gregory to the more frequently used St. Basil at the discretion of the priest or bishop. The main liturgy used by the Coptic Church is known as Liturgy of Saint Basil. The term ''Liturgies of Saint Basil'' in a Coptic context means not only the sole anaphora with or without the related prayers, but also the general order of the Alexandrine Rite liturgy.


Anaphora

The Egyptian (or Coptic) anaphora (liturgy), anaphora of Saint Basil, even if related and using the same Antiochene Rite, Antiochene (or ''"West Syrian"'') structure, represents a different group from the Byzantine Rite, Byzantine, West Syrian and Armenian rite, Armenian grouping of anaphoras of Saint Basil. The Egyptian version does not derive directly from the latter and has its own peculiarities: its text is more brief, with less bible, Scriptural and allusive enhancements, and it lacks well-defined Trinity, Trinitarian references, which are typical of other versions and reflect the theology of the First Council of Constantinople of 381. The structure of the Coptic language#Dialects, Bohairic Coptic version used today in the Coptic Church can be summarized as follows: *Anaphora: **the Sursum Corda, Opening Dialogue **the Preface (liturgy), Preface, praising God the Father, Father as Lord and everlasting king, as creator of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, and as Father of Christ by whom all things were made **the ''Pre-Sanctus'', praising the Father on his throne of glory and worshiped by the Angelic Christian angelic hierarchy, hosts, so introducing **the Sanctus, conducted without the ''Benedictus'' **the ''Post-Sanctus'', recalling the whole history of Salvation (Christianity), Salvation, from the Original Sin to the Incarnation (Christianity), Incarnation, Passion (Christianity), Passion, Resurrection of Jesus, Resurrection of Christ up to the Last Judgment **the Institution narrative **the Anamnesis (Christianity), Anamnesis, referring to the Passion (Christianity), Passion, Resurrection of Jesus, Resurrection and Second Coming of Christ **the Oblation, offering to the Father the
Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
ic gifts **the Epiclesis, asking the Holy Spirit to come and to sanctify and manifest the gifts as the Most Holy; then asking the Holy Spirit to make the bread the Body and the chalice the Blood of Christ **the Intercessions, praying for the participants to become one single body, for the Church, for the Pope of Alexandria and for all the ecclesiastic hierarchy, for the town and the harvest, for the Flooding of the Nile, floodings, for the living, for who have offered the Eucharistic gifts, for the saints – naming Mary (mother of Jesus), Mary, John the Baptist, Saint Stephen, Saint Mark and Saint Basil; then reading of the Diptych#Ecclesiastical, diptychs, followed by the prayers for the dead **a prayer for the fruit of the Eucharist, Communion and the final doxology. The 7th-century Coptic language#Dialects, Sahidic Coptic version found in 1960 shows an earlier and more sober form of the Bohairic text: the manuscript, incomplete in its first part, begins with the ''Post Sanctus'', and is followed by a terse ''Institution narrative'', by a pithy ''Anamnesis'' which simply lists the themes and ends with the ''oblation''. The next ''Epiclesis'' consists only of the prayer to the Holy Spirit to come and manifest the gifts, without any explicit request to change the gifts in the Body and Blood of Christ. The intercessions are shorter and only Mary is named among the saints.


Liturgy of Saint Basil

The term ''Liturgy of Saint Basil'' may refer also to the whole Eucharistic Liturgy which in the Coptic Church has the following structure:


=Offertory

= Offertory (or Prothesis) is the part of the liturgy in which the Sacramental bread (''qorban'') and Sacramental wine, wine (''abarkah'') are chosen and placed on the altar. All these rites are Middle-ages developments. It begins with the dressing of the priest with vestments and the preparation of the altar, along with prayers of worthiness for the celebrant. At this point is chanted the appropriate hour of the Canonical hours, followed by the washing of the hands with its prayer of worthiness, and by the proclamation of the Nicean Creed. Then takes place the elaborate rite of the choosing of the Lamb: while the congregation sing 41 times the Kyrie eleison, the priest checks the wine and chooses among the bread one loaf which will be consecrated (the ''Lamb''). The Lamb is cleaned with a napkin and blessed with the priest's thumb wet with wine. Afterwards the priest takes the Lamb in procession around the altar and the deacon follows with the wine and a candle. At the altar, the priest, with appropriate prayers, blesses the Lamb and the wine, places the Lamb on the Paten and pours wine and a few drops of water in the chalice (the chalice is placed on the altar in a wooden box named ''ark''). The last part of the offertory resembles an anaphora: after a dialogue, the priest blesses the congregation and proclaims a prayer of thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for his support to us, and asking him for a worthy participation to the liturgy. Then comes the prayer of covering said inaudibly by the priest, which has the form of an epiclesis asking God to show his face on the gifts, and to change them in order that the bread and wine may became the Body and Blood of Christ. This text might come from an ancient anaphora or simply be a later High Middle Ages creation. The paten and the ark with the chalice inside are here covered with a veil.


=Liturgy of the Catechumens

= In the Mass of the Catechumens, Liturgy of the Catechumens the readings from the New Testament are proclaimed. This portion was in ancient times the beginning of the liturgy, and the only part which could be attended by the catechumens. It is roughly equivalent to the ''Liturgy of the Word'' in the Western Rites. It begins with a Penitential Rite in which first the priest prays inaudibly to Christ for the forgiveness of sins (''The Absolution to the Son'') and then all the participants kneel in front of the altar and the celebrant, or the bishop if present, recites a prayer of absolution (''The Absolution to the Ministers''). The reading from the Pauline epistles is preceded by the offering of incense at the four sides of the altar, at the iconostasis, at the book of the Gospel and at the faithfuls in the nave; in the meantime the faithful sing a hymn to Mary (mother of Jesus), Mary and a hymn of intercession. The Pauline epistle is followed by a reading from the Catholic epistles and by one from the Acts of the Apostles. Another offering of incense is conduced (the ''Praxis Incense''), similar to the Pauline incense except that only the first row of the faithful is incensed. A reading from the Coptic Synaxarium can follow. After these readings, the Trisagion is sung three times, each time with a different reference to the Incarnation (Christianity), Incarnation, Passion (Christianity), Passion, Resurrection of Jesus, Resurrection, thus addressing the Trisagion to Christ only. After the Trisagion follows a litany, the recital of a Psalm and the singing of the Alleluia, and finally the proclamation of the Gospel from the doors of the sanctuary. The sermon may follow.


=Liturgy of the Faithful

= The Liturgy of the Faithful is the core of the Liturgy, where are placed the proper Eucharistic rites. It begins with the prayer of the Veil, in which the priest offers the liturgical sacrifice to God. The Long Litanies follows, where all pray for the peace, for the ecclesiastic hierarchy and for the congregation. The Nicean Creed is proclaimed, the priest washes his hands three times and sprinkles water on the congregation reciting the Prayer of Reconciliation which is a prayer of worthiness for all who attend the liturgy. Next is the Kiss of peace during which the faithful sing the ''Aspasmos Adam'' (''Rejoice O Mary'') hymn. The Liturgy of Saint Basil#Coptic Anaphora, Anaphora is conducted. After the anaphora takes place the consignation, i.e. the moistening of the Lamb with some drops of the consecrated Wine, which is shown for the worship of the faithful. The Fraction (religion), Fraction of the consecrated Lamb ensues, during which the priest says a prayer which varies according to the Coptic calendar. All of the congregation stands and prays with open hands the
Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...
. To be prepared for partaking of the Eucharist, the faithful bow while the celebrant says in low voice the prayer of submission, then the priest and the participants offer each other a wish of peace and the priest inaudibly prays to the God the Father, Father for the forgiveness of sins (''The Absolution to the Father''). The Elevation (liturgy), Elevation is similar to that in the
Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, identifies the wide range of cultural, liturgical, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian Church of Constantinople. Th ...
, with the celebrant who raises the portion of the Lamb engraved with a cross (the ''ispadikon'') crying: "''The holy things for the holy ones''". The priest makes a second consignation and puts gently the ispakidon in the chalice (the commixture), then he recites aloud a confession of faith. The partaking of the Eucharist follows, first the Body of Christ given to the celebrants, to the deacons and to the faithful who approach the sanctuary without shoes and then the Blood of Christ in the same order. Psalm 150 is sung in the meantime. The distribution of the Eucharist ends with a blessing with the Paten. The dismissal rites include The Prayer of Laying the Hands and the final blessing.


Syro-Antiochene liturgy

The
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church of the West Syriac Rite which is developed from the Antiochene Rite use a version of the Divine Liturgy of Saint James which differs substantially from its Byzantine Rite counterpart, most notably in being substantially shorter (it can be completed in under two hours, whereas the historic form of the Byzantine Rite liturgy prior to the revisions of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom took more than four hours), and in that it can be used with more than eighty different anaphoras; the most commonly used are those of Mar Bar Salibi (which is the shortest), and that of St. James, which resembles that of the Byzantine Rite liturgy, and is mandated on certain occasions, such as major feasts, the consecration of churches, and the first liturgies offered by newly ordained priests. Due to the long isolation of the Saint Thomas Christians the rite of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church shows some differences, so that this rite is called the Malankara Rite.


Armenian Liturgy

The Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian Catholic Church have at present a single liturgical structure, called the Armenian Rite, with a single anaphora (the Athanasius of Alexandria, Athanasius-Anaphora) for the liturgy: Holy Patarag or in Western Armenian Holy Badarak, meaning 'sacrifice'. This is in distinction from the other liturgies of the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Coptic, West Syrian, Ethiopic) which have retained multiple anaphora. This means that the text of the Patarag can be contained in a single, unified liturgical book, the Պատարագամատոյց (''Pataragamatooyts'', Western Armenian ''Badarakamadooyts'', meaning 'the offering of sacrifice'). This book contains all of the prayers for the Patarag assigned to the bishop (if celebrating as a bishop), the celebrating priest, the deacon(s), and the people, the last typically led by a choir with accompaniment. Before the end of the 10th century there were also other liturgical forms, such as the Anaphora of St. Basil, the Anaphora of St. Gregory the Illuminator and others in use.A. Rücker: Denkmäler altarmenischer Messliturgie 5. Die Anaphora des heiligen Ignatius von Antiochien. In: Oriens Christianus 3. Ser. (1930) 56-79. The elements of the Armenian eucharistic liturgy reflect the rich set of influences on Armenian culture. The roots of the liturgy lie in the West Syrian and Byzantine forms, with the influence of the Roman Catholic Mass, the latter having arrived likely during the period of the Fourth Crusade or shortly thereafter. Among the distinctive practices of the Armenian Patarag is the tradition that on the Sundays of the fast before Easter (the Great Fast) the curtain which hangs down in front of the elevated altar area (Armenian խորան ''khoran'') is never opened – even for the reading of the Gospel, certain movable parts of the liturgy are omitted, the parts of the liturgy sung by the choir are said or chanted simply without adornment, there is no general confession, and there is no distribution of Communion to the faithful. This practice of fasting from the Communion bread in preparation for Easter may reflect an ancient custom of the church in Jerusalem. A special prayer of repentance is sung by the clergy on the morning of Palm Sunday (Armenian: Ծաղկազարդ ''tsaghkazard'', Western Armenian ''dzaghgazard''), after which the curtain is opened for the first time since the last Sunday before the Great Fast. One element which almost certainly derives from the influence of Western liturgy is the reading of a last Gospel at the conclusion of the Patarag. However, the celebration of a short memorial service for one or more departed persons (Հոգեհանգիստ ''hogehangist'', Western Armenian ''hokehankist'', meaning 'rest of the spirit') is quite prevalent in parishes and replaces the reading of the last Gospel.


Equivalents in other Liturgical Rites


Roman Catholic Church


Holy Mass


Church of the East


Holy Qurbana

Holy Qurbana is the Eucharistic celebration in the Edessan Rite. The Assyrian Church of the East, the Ancient Church of the East and their larger Catholic counterparts, the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Syro-Malabar Church, which use the Edessan Rite that they all inherit from the Church of the East, employ one or more of three different Eucharistic anaphora (liturgy), anaphorae when celebrating Holy Qurbana: * Anaphora of Addai and Mari (or The Hallowing of the Apostles, i.e., of the Apostles Saint Addai and Saint Mari) * The Hallowing of Theodore of Mopsuestia, attributed to Theodore of Mopsuestia * The Hallowing of Nestorius, attributed to Nestorius


See also

* Liturgy of the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions * Diataxis


References


External links

;Greek Liturgies; English translation of the Principal Liturgies * At the Internet Archive. * At the Internet Archive. ;Eastern Orthodox Christian
The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
in English
The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
in English
The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
in English

in English

in English (ancient, early Liturgy)
The Lenten Liturgies
in English

Byzantine music in English for the Liturgies of St. John, St. Basil, St. James and the Presanctified
The Divine Liturgy of the Russian Orthodox Church
in English/Church Slavonic, including music (midi, mp3)
Photos of Divine Liturgy
from Russia

in Hellenistic New Testament Greek (Koine) and Modern Demotic Greek

as it practised daily, in Koine Greek

as it practised at Sundays, in Koine Greek

as it practised with a deacon, in Koine Greek

in Koine Greek

Presanctified, in Koine Greek
Textos litúrgicos ortodoxos
Spanish translations of the Orthodox Liturgical texts (Serbian Patriarchate) ;Oriental Orthodox Christian



from St-Takla.org
Coptic Liturgy of St. Basil
Full text with explanations and commentary
Coptic Liturgy of St. Mark
Full text (also known as the Liturgy of St. Cyril)
Coptic Liturgy of St. Gregory
Full text with footnotes


Armenian Divine



Arak29 Badarak (Armenian Divine Liturgy)


Commentary

{{Religious books Eastern Christian liturgies Christian liturgical texts Texts in Koine Greek Christian terminology Christian genres