Overview of the Divine Liturgy

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this unit is to discuss what the liturgy is, its breakdown, its importance in our lives, and how to connect to the liturgy.

INTRODUCTION - 5 Minutes

What is the liturgy? The literal meaning of the word liturgy comes from a Greek word meaning "the work of the people."

What "work" does this definition refer to? It refers to our work as christians towards the Kingdom of God. It is how we, as Orthodox Christians, worship God. Orthodox worship is that which leads to the straight and perfect glory of God.

The liturgy can also be considered as the most wonderful prayer. It is for the whole congregation, where heaven and earth meet and we are united with Christ and are joined to Him through partaking of His Body and His Blood.

The liturgy is a spiritual journey which leads man to paradise. Through it, we partake in Christ's Eucharistic Sacrifice and are reconciled with God and one another.

The lesson below will focus on the following:

Content: Breakdown of the Divine Liturgy
Discussion: Importance of the liturgy
Application: How to connect to the liturgy

HOLY SCRIPTURE

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42)

CONTENT (KEY POINTS)

Our Celebration of the Divine Liturgy

The Liturgy of the Eucharist is divided into several different parts:

Preparation/The Liturgy of the Hours
The Offertory
The Liturgy of the Catechumens
The Liturgy of the Faithful

Preparation/ The Liturgy of the Hours

This includes the Agpeya prayers, Vespers Praise, Vespers, Midnight Praises, and Matins. These are liturgical worship which serve as a preparation for celebrating the Mystery, but they are not a sacramental service. They consist of the public ecclesiastic prayers, distinct from the eucharistic and sacramental prayers. These prayers allow the Church to practice its liturgical life all day, by praising the Lord and honoring His saints; through them we devote all our time to the Lord, by singing psalms and hymns, enjoying the recitation of the Holy Scriptures, reading the patriarchal sermons and homilies, etc. These prayers are sometimes also referred to as "The Divine Office" and they were developed greatly when the monastic movement appeared in Egypt.

The Offertory

It is the start of the journey, and it also guides the Church in knowing the real expense of the journey, for she must offer her whole life as a sacrifice to and through the Lord.

The Liturgy of the Catechumens

The Liturgy of the Catechumens, also known as Liturgy of the Word, consists mostly of readings which are the guide or the map of the journey, by which we know our position towards God and His position towards us. The Church witnesses God and that is the aim of the journey. She witnesses to Him before her children the believers, and the catechumens, by:

His Apostles (Pauline and Catholic Epistles).
The Apostolic Acts.
The Acts of the Church (The Synaxarium).
His Son (the Gospel).
The Church Ministers (through the Sermon).

These readings are accompanied by audible and inaudible prayers, that God may work in the congregation's hearts.

The readings are typically connected through a theme for that day, month or season

The Liturgy of the Believers (The Anaphora)

The Liturgy of the Faithful is started with the common belief as recited in the Creed.

The three Long Litanies are then prayed (although sometimes these are prayed inaudibly during the reading of the Gospel). Through these Litanies The Church asks for: the peace of the Church and the World (Litany of Peace), the strength of the Ministers (Litany of the Fathers the Hierarchs), and the blessing of her meetings (Litany of the Assemblies).

After the Litanies the Pre-Anaphora (Aspasmos), is prayed. As the Church is prepared to ascend to heaven, she proclaims the reconciliation between God and Man, in Christ, by the Prayer of Reconciliation. The faithful, in response, declare their reconciliation in a practical way, by the Aspasmos, or the Apostolic Kiss.

The Liturgy of the Faithful is the entry to Heaven through the Epiclesis of the Holy Spirit, the unity with Jesus Christ, the spiritual nourishment through the communion of His Holy Body and Blood. Historically there were numerous different Liturgies of the Believers, but the Modern Church now uses only these three liturgies namely:

The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia. It is different from the Byzantine Liturgy, though it has the same name. It is the most frequently used liturgy in the Church. The prayers are addressed to the Father.
The Liturgy of St. Gregory, the Theologian of Nazienzus, Bishop of Sazima. It is often used in festive occasions. It is the only liturgy that has all its prayers addressed to God the Son.
The Liturgy of St. Cyril the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria. It is originally the Liturgy of St. Mark, edited, and perfected by St. Cyril Alexandria. The prayers are addressed to God the Father.

DISCUSSION (Challenge)

After having reviewed the different parts of the Liturgy, it is important to then go a step further. In our lives, as youth or adults, a question may arise, "why do I need the liturgy?"

At this point in the lesson, the servant should ask the students directly: "why do we need the liturgy?"

After the students share some responses, the following points may be used to discuss:

We can only participate in the Eucharist through the Liturgy.

"Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, given for the remission of sins and eternal life to those who partake of Him." Liturgy of St. Basil

We are called to live a life of Holiness. The Divine Liturgy is related to our salvation as through partaking of the Eucharist, we receive remission of our sins. It is part of our sanctification, and the holiness that we receive in the liturgy helps us provide solutions to our everyday problems, even if we don't always notice.

Detachment from the Eucharist restricts our union with God. The Eucharist perfects our union with God that can't be accomplished any other way
Even the monks and anchorites would come to celebrate the liturgy in unique ways. At the highest form of solitude and deepest level of spirituality, they still came to center around Christ Himself, because the liturgy is the most perfect and complete form of the final gift of the Lord to His Disciples.
Celebrating the Divine Liturgy connects us with those of old. When we come together, the angels and saints are present with us as well. We often focus only on the schematics, rites, and logistics of the liturgy, but it is essential to remember that which we can't see too in order to help us remember the gravity of the liturgy. Many holy people such as Tamav Irene were blessed with the ability to be able to see the saints as present as they were mentioned in the Commemoration of the Saints. It is important to remember that there is something greater than what we may perceive in front of us.

A simple way to think about going to liturgy is: imagine that a very important figure, such as a president or a king is inviting you to dinner at their palace. How would you feel? It would be natural to feel much honored and appreciated by such an invitation. This applies to Jesus, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Rev 17:14, Rev 19:16) calling us to go to church. He is calling us and waiting for us to enjoy His love and partake of the best gift that He gave the world: his Body and Blood. Will we respond to this invitation with honor, or reluctance?

APPLICATION (Action)

The most important application of this unit is how to connect to the liturgy. The Divine Liturgy is when Jesus unites with us in love and gives us His Body and Blood. Despite this glory, many of us get distracted, distant or even bored. Here are some ways we can connect to liturgy, cut out distractions, and participate more fully.

Always remember the true presence of God during the Liturgy and that you can ask Him to reveal His presence to you.
Be sure to learn the short responses and chant along with the congregation with zeal.
Read a book or watch a video explaining the Liturgy, the meaning and symbolism behind every move in the Liturgy
Stay as close to the front (to the Altar) as possible and far from distractions (e.g. friends)
Close your eyes if that gives more focus
Refrain from using phones or devices during the Liturgy. It may also be helpful to use a physical Liturgy book to follow along.

SERVANT RESOURCES

CCE130 Liturgical Studies
Christ in the Eucharist by Rev. Fr. Tadros Malaty