#Divine Liturgy

[dramoor]

Divine Liturgy

Fr. Seraphim Aldea, St. Oran's Chapel, Isle of Iona, Scotland

(Images via Fr. Seraphim used with permission)

[orthodoxadventure]

Divine Liturgy being celebrated in Gaza

[apilgrimpassingby]

It is often claimed that the symbols and objects used in traditional Christian worship and the style of beauty which it displays have become outdated and irrelevant in the contemporary world. These symbols, it is argued, are drawn from an agricultural way of life, and are in many instances no longer appropriate to an urban and industrial environment. Why should we worship God with a candle or a censer in our hand, and not with a stethoscope or pneumatic drill? Are we not restricting our worship to one particular type of person and excluding the rest? To this the Orthodox would reply that the acts and symbols which we employ in worship possess a universal significance ... The Orthodox Church in her prayer makes use of the primary realities of human existence, such as bread and water, light and fire. If people in an urban and technological environment no longer find these primary realities meaningful, then is this not a disturbing indictment of the artificiality and unreality of contemporary civilisation? - Kallistos Ware, The Inner Kingdom

[angeltreasure]

Bringing Mom to Divine Liturgy later today for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Afterwards, we celebrate with the church for brunch homemade by one of the ministries! How beautiful it will be to celebrate with my brothers and sisters! Thank You, God! 😊🙏🏻🩵

[primordial-archetypes]

My first visit to an Orthodox Divine Liturgy - a reflection

Sunday 16th March 2025 - Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas. Russian Orthodox Divine Liturgy.

It has taken me quite a few months to finally be able to experience the Divine Liturgy in person. This was actually my third attempt at travelling to London; previous attempts failed due to being struck with sudden (and in one case, very serious) illness. It became obvious that the powers of darkness were trying to stop me from attending a Divine Liturgy because they knew that if I did, I would never be the same again. They were right.

As I entered the church, I was immediately struck with a sense of wonder and stillness. The lights had yet to be turned on so all of the icons and relics were illuminated by lots of thin beeswax tapers. There was an incredibly long line for confession, something I had rarely, if ever, seen as a Roman Catholic. After venerating the icons of Our Lord and the various saints that are particularly venerated at this church - St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Romanov Royal Martyr's etc - I stood in silence, allowing myself time to gaze at the iconostasis and the incredible artwork that covered every inch of every wall and ceiling. No matter where I looked, Christ and His saints were there.

As the time for the Liturgy to start came closer, more and more people filed in, offering reverences according to their own custom. The bells start to ring to announce the arrival of the Bishop. We watch him being vested and I am immediately struck with the physical and metaphorical weight of his office. Many bows and sign of the cross followed and continued throughout the entire three hour liturgy (standing). All my senses were engaged - the sight of the lights, candles, the icons and the wonderful vestments; the sound of the choir singing in Church Slavonic, the bells attached to the censers, the gentle murmuring of responses from the laity; the incredible bouquet of scents from the incense that is constantly wafting throughout the temple; the feel of the gentle heat from the many candles, the weight on my feet the longer I stood; the only sense that wasn't engaged was taste, however this will soon change once I am able to receive Holy Communion - and what a sweet taste it will be! Receiving a morsel of the Antidoron at the end of the liturgy was a privilege in itself, to be sure, yet the sweetness of this blessed bread is only a shadow of what is to come.

My mind is at ease and I gently recite the Jesus Prayers whenever the liturgy is said in Church Slavonic (about 85% of the time) for although I couldn't understand what was being said, I prayed that God would illumine my heart all the same. As the liturgy goes on, I am constantly struck by the feeling of awe, wonder and sanctity of the place. I was no longer in London, nor was I on Earth; I was being transported to Heaven, to worship among the angels and saints. I felt unworthy to be present, yet I was not afraid or despondent. The feeling of unworthiness increased my plea for mercy, forgiveness and repentance all the more. Like the Prodigal Son, I was journeying back to the Father who was waiting for me, arms open wide, ready to receive me.

At various times, when the people were joining their voices with the clergy to sing the Creed and the Lord's Prayer, I had shivers up and down my spine. My back, legs and feet were growing tired but I didn't care. I was ready to do it all over again.

Seeing the people line up for Holy Communion, watching just how reverent they were, I yearned all the more to receive this greatest of Gifts. Being able to kiss the cross and receive a blessing from the Bishop once the liturgy was finished was also a great blessing. I wanted to sit at the feet of the Bishop and his clergy and learn all I could from them.

My dear friend gave me a tour of the lower church, showing me various icons and relics that hailed from Russia and communist ruled nations - all smuggled out in order to protect these precious and holy images. This church is a haven, a refuge for the things that were threatened with total destruction. And I knew that one day soon, when I am fully received into Orthodoxy, this church would become my own haven and refuge.

Leaving the church, my mind and heart were still filled with wonder but I experienced a taste of blessed stillness, the peace of Heaven itself.

I was home.

[jameslmartello]

The First Antiphon - Psalm 102

[rejoiceunweddedbride]

May the Lord God remember you all in His kingdom, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

[apilgrimpassingby]

Last year, I was in church for about two hours prior to midnight.

I think the person inside fluctuates from year to year, and I think any Orthodox person can do it*.

There are some minor variations, but the way I do it is I cross myself twice, kiss the icon on the hand, foot, cross, or Gospel (the hand is preferred for saints, the foot for Christ, but anywhere can be used except the face, because that's overly familiar), and cross myself again. It's funny, I've been doing this so long that I assume everyone knows how it works.

The Divine Liturgy is beautiful. The essence of it, in my opinion, is the otherworldliness and holiness of God. I'll quote from the Liturgy to sum it up:

"No one bound by carnal desires and pleasures is worthy to approach, draw near, or minister to You, the King of Glory. For to serve You is great and awesome even for the heavenly powers. Yet, because of Your ineffable and immeasurable love for mankind, You impassibly and immutably became man. You, as the Master of all, became our high priest and delivered unto us the sacred service of this liturgical sacrifice without the shedding of blood. Indeed, Lord our God, You alone reign over the celestial and the terrestrial; borne aloft on the cherubic throne, Lord of the Seraphim and King of Israel, the only holy and resting among the holy ones."

*Fun fact, I first learnt about this ritual from an episode of The Lord of Spirits. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick recounted a time when one of his friends had the role and mispronounced it as "this cling of gory"; Fr. Andrew has been teasing him about it ever since.

Coming into your inbox to tell you about something I think is cool: how Christus Victor is built into the Orthodox liturgical tradition. Also I just think the practice I'm about to describe is awesome.

We stay up till midnight on Holy Saturday, waiting in church with unlit candles. All the lights are turned off and all the lamps and candles snuffed out inside, the icons are covered with black veils and it's midnight. Then when Easter Sunday starts, the priest comes out with his lit trikirion, lights the candle of the person nearest him, who lights the candle of the nearest person, who lights the candle of the nearest person, until everyone's candles are lit. Everyone processes outside, led by the priest, save for one person (we'll get to that later) holding an icon of Christ.

The congregation stands outside, the priest bangs on the door with his crucifix three times, and cries out "lift up your heads, o gates, and be lifted up, o ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in!". The person inside says "who is this King of Glory?"; the priest replies with "the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!" The priest repeats "lift up your heads...", the person inside repeats his question, and the priest says "the Lord of Hosts - He is the King of glory!" (You'll probably recognise that this whole bit is lifted from Psalm 24). The doors are opened, everyone proceeds inside and venerates the icon of Christ, and the Divine Liturgy is celebrated.

Okay, everything about this is incredibly cool and an awesome reminder of why I need to find a church that does stuff like this. Such a visceral reminder about the Light and Glory of our King and Savior. And also it seems very fun hehehe.

Questions:

What time do yall enter the church/how long are yall waiting till midnight?

How does the person who gets to hold the icon of Christ get chosen??

What does icon veneration look like in the Eastern Orthodox tradition?

And what is the Divine Liturgy like to experience??

[tpanan]

Thanks be to Lord Jesus, our God. Amen 🙏

[patron-saint-of-lesbeans]

I love praying the liturgy of the hours. How did it take me over 20 years to learn there’s a predictable, universal schedule by which to break up my day into three hour segments with prayer, hymns, and poetry? Major Catholic autism win.

[orthodoxadventure]

Divine Liturgy at Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza

[religious-extremist]

The Orthodox Church has Liturgy every day! There’s only one day in the entire liturgical calendar of the Orthodox Church that the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated and that is Holy Saturday, the day before Pascha (called Easter in the West).

The festal nature of the Divine Liturgy is not considered appropriate for Great Lent weekdays so instead of the Divine Liturgy, the faithful commune without the service of the consecration performed, through the Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts. It is not shorter than the regular Divine Liturgy, but different prayers are read and we commune of the mysteries which have been consecrated during the previous Sabbath and/or Lord’s Day.

[sapphosremains]

GIRLS! Crush not texting you back? Leaving you on delivered for days?

TRY THIS FOOLPROOF METHOD FOR HIM TO TEXT YOU DAILY!

Commit to praying the liturgy of hours together! He'll text you first when he remembers his commitment to communal Lauds, and your psalmody will be sure to get him back for Terce.

[guelphicreaction]

Christ Jesus loved the Psalms.

Dom Marmion; Christ, the Ideal of the Monk

[angeltreasure]

I made new friends again at Divine Liturgy! 🥹🩵🙏🏻