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Liturgy & Worship

The Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy, by Zorzis, 2018-01-15 20:21:30
Zorzis, 2018-01-15 20:21:30 Public domain

The Eucharist of the Orthodox Church, and the service every other service leads toward. Its first part gathers the people around the Word: the antiphons, the Little Entrance with the Gospel book, the Trisagion, the Epistle and the Gospel. The second belongs to the baptised: the Great Entrance with the gifts, the Creed, the anaphora with its epiclesis, the Lord’s Prayer, and communion. St Nicholas Cabasilas read every part of it as a moment in the work of Christ, set out in order from the Incarnation onward, and the envoys of Prince Vladimir, who stood through it in the Great Church at Constantinople, said they did not know whether they were in heaven or on earth. Three liturgies are served in the course of the year: St John Chrysostom’s on most days, St Basil the Great’s ten times, and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on weekdays of Great Lent, chiefly Wednesdays and Fridays, and on the first three days of Holy Week. The Liturgy of St James, the ancient liturgy of Jerusalem, is served in some places on his feast.

The texts

The Cherubic Hymn

Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim, and who sing to the life-giving Trinity the thrice-holy hymn,

now lay aside all earthly care, that we may receive the King of all, invisibly escorted by the angelic orders. Alleluia.

Οἱ τὰ Χερουβὶμ μυστικῶς εἰκονίζοντες, καὶ τῇ ζωοποιῷ Τριάδι τὸν τρισάγιον ὕμνον προσᾴδοντες,

πᾶσαν τὴν βιωτικὴν ἀποθώμεθα μέριμναν, ὡς τὸν Βασιλέα τῶν ὅλων ὑποδεξόμενοι, ταῖς ἀγγελικαῖς ἀοράτως δορυφορούμενον τάξεσιν. Ἀλληλούϊα.

Sung at the Great Entrance, while the gifts are carried to the altar. The hymn stops mid-sentence for the entrance and is finished afterwards.

The Beatitudes

In Thy Kingdom remember us, O Lord, when Thou comest in Thy Kingdom.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

Ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου μνήσθητι ἡμῶν, Κύριε, ὅταν ἔλθῃς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου.

Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν.

Μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται.

Μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσι καὶ εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ’ ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ. Χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

Matthew 5:3-12, sung at the Sunday Liturgy in the Slavic use as the Third Antiphon, during which the Little Entrance is made, and introduced by the prayer of the thief on the cross.

The dismissal

May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and loves mankind.

Χριστὸς ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς παναχράντου αὐτοῦ Μητρὸς καὶ πάντων τῶν Ἁγίων, ἐλεήσαι καὶ σώσαι ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος.

The last words of the Liturgy, in their shortest form. On Sundays it begins He who rose from the dead, and in its full form it names the saints of the day and the author of the Liturgy.

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