Byzantine Rite
Three Divine Liturgies are in common use in theThe 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 theLiturgy 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 theLiturgy 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 theWhen the liturgy is at the usual time (following matins or the sixth hour), this order is followed: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."
* 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.") *But when the liturgy is joined to vespers (onLittle 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 theBeatitudes 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 andKontakia 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 specificsaint 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
* Trisagion, the "Thrice-Holy" hymn (or on certain days, another hymn): **OnChristmas 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 ...andPentecost 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) **OnFeasts 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.,* 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 (theAlmost 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.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 theAmbon 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
Oriental Orthodox Churches
"Divine Liturgy" is the normal word that, in their own languages, followers of theCoptic Liturgy
At present, theAnaphora
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 theLiturgy 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 theSyro-Antiochene liturgy
TheArmenian 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 NestoriusSee also
* Liturgy of the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions * DiataxisReferences
External links
;Greek Liturgies; English translation of the Principal Liturgies * At the Internet Archive. * At the Internet Archive. ;Eastern Orthodox Christian