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Understanding the Divine Liturgy

Celebrating: The Year of the Holy Eucharist. Understanding the Divine Liturgy. Session #5 The Liturgy of the Faithful Continued (The Holy Anaphora and Consecration) A study based on the books: “The Heavenly Banquet,” by Fr. Emmanuel Hatzidakis

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Understanding the Divine Liturgy

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  1. Celebrating: The Year of the Holy Eucharist Understanding the Divine Liturgy Session #5 The Liturgy of the Faithful Continued (The Holy Anaphora and Consecration) A study based on the books: “The Heavenly Banquet,” by Fr. Emmanuel Hatzidakis “The Orthodox Faith vol. II (Worship)” by Fr. Thomas Hopko “Understanding The Orthodox Liturgy” by Fr. Michel Najim & T.L. Frazier

  2. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Continued” Great Entrance Review 1. It is a reminder of Christ’s journey to Jerusalem, where He would be sacrificed for our sins. 2. During the procession the priest asks that God remember all the “Faithful” in His Kingdom. (The Clergy, The President, The Living, and the Departed.” “May the Lord God remember all of you in His Kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. • After the procession of the Holy Gifts around the church, the priest enters the sanctuary. • He places the Holy Gifts on the unfolded Antimins (that sits on the Altar) saying the following prayers: (Taken from the hymns of Great and Holy Pascha as another symbolic reminder of what Christ’s life means to us.) • “The noble Joseph, when he had taken down Your immaculate body from the tree, wrapped it in fine linen and spices, and sorrowing, placed it in a new tomb.” (Matt. 27:59-60) • “O Christ, You were in the grave with Your body, but in hades with Your soul; As God, You were in paradise with the thief, and on the Throne with the Father and the Spirit, filling all things, O Incomprehensible One.” • “As life-giving, as more splendid than Paradise, and more radiant than any royal chamber, O Christ, is shown forth thy tomb, the fountain of our resurrection.” • 2. He then covers the gifts with the “aer” or veil (symbolizing Joseph rolling the stone in front of Christ’s tomb

  3. The Liturgy of the Faithful “The Embrace of Peace” • Before the Divine Liturgy can proceed further, there are two conditions which must be fulfilled by the faithful. • The solemn expressions of: Love and Faith • a. These elements are essential to the Christian life. • b. Without love and faith, there can be no communion with God. “He who does not love, does not know God. “ (I John 4:8) • C. Love is the foundation of life and the fundamental Christian truth.“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) So the priest says: “Let us Love one another that with one accord (or one mind) we may confess:” And the people respond. “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Trinity, one in essence and undivided.” • Then the clergy embrace one another saying: (In some traditions all the people embrace) • “Christ is in our midst;” “He is and forever shall be.” The Importance of the Embrace of Peace Christ said… “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar and go your way… …First be reconciled to your brother, and then come offer your gift.” (Matt. 5:23-24)

  4. The Liturgy of the Faithful “The Symbol of Faith (The Creed) • Following the Embrace of Peace, the Symbol of Faith, also called the Nicene Creed, is recited by the clergy and the people. • It is introduced by the priest or deacon who says: • “The doors! The doors! In wisdom let us attend.” • a. Historically, these words were said as a reminder that all catechumens should have been dismissed.(Meaning to close the doors of the church to outsiders.) • b. Also, the doors represent our mouths and ears. • We are called each week to open our mouths and ears and recall the expression of faith first • said at our baptism. • Why do we say the Creed? • It is an expression of our personal faith. (We say: ”I believe”…not “We believe”) • a. This is the only place in the Divine Liturgy where the first person pronoun is used during • worship. • 2. The Nicene Creed is the “Definition of who we are as Christians.” • 3. Without the expression of faith, the Divine Liturgy has no meaning and cannot proceed.

  5. The Liturgy of the Faithful “The Symbol of Faith (The Creed) While the Creed is being said, the priest fans the gifts with the aer (veil) • What does this action represent • An act of veneration toward the presence of the Heavenly King (Christ) in the midst of his people (Symbolized in the Holy Gifts and also the Gospel.) • It is a historical and practical action of keeping bugs away from the gifts when they were uncovered prior to the “Anaphora prayer.” (prayer of consecration) • 3. Today, it can be said that this action reminds us that the Holy Spirit is working in us.

  6. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” Now begins the part of the Divine Liturgy called the Anaphora. (The Eucharistic Prayer) • Anaphora means: The “Lifting-up” (or the elevation). • What does the Anaphora represent • The gifts of bread and wine being “lifted up” from the altar to God the Father. • The gifts receiving divine sanctification by the Holy Spirit who comes to change them into the very Body and Blood of Christ.

  7. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” The Anaphora begins when the priest says: “Let us stand aright! Let us stand with fear! Let us attend! That we may offer the HolyOblation (or offering) in peace.”And the people respond: “A mercy of peace! A sacrifice of praise!” • The Holy Oblation is: Christ, the Son of God • (Who became the Son of Man and offered himself to His Father to give everlasting life back to the whole world.) • Jesus is the perfect peace offering. (He alone, brings God’s reconciling mercy.) • Jesus is the only human “Sacrifice of Praise” (Given to us by God) that men can offer back to God in thanksgiving. • a. In Christ, everything is fulfilled and accomplished. He is the offering of peace and reconciliation of all our sins. He is the way to God and God’s way to us. Then the priest wishes us the greatest of all blessings: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

  8. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” Then the priest calls everyone to be “Heavenly minded.” “Let us lift up our hearts!” (To Heaven) ***This phrase is taken from the Old Testament book of Lamentations. The Prophet Jeremiah said; “Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in Heaven.” (Lamentations 3:41) And the people respond: “We lift them up unto the Lord!” Then the priest calls us all to give thanks: “Let us givethanks unto the Lord.” ***Remember…the word Eucharist means: “Thanksgiving.” And the people respond: “It is meet (proper) and right to worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: the Trinity, one in essence and undivided.” Reflection and Summary The Eucharistic Divine Liturgy is ultimately the action of lifting up one's heart and giving thanks to God for all that he has done for us and the world: (He created us, He saved us, and He promises us eternal life.)

  9. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” Then the priest recites the following prayer: “It is meet and right to sing of Thee, to bless Thee, to praise Thee, to give thanks to Thee and to worship Thee in every place of Thy dominion. For Thou art God ineffable, inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, ever-existing and eternally the same, Thou and Thine only-begotten Son and Thy Holy Spirit. Thou it was who brought us from non-existence into being, and when we had fallen away, didst raise us up again, and didst not cease to do all things until Thou hadst brought us up to heaven and hadst endowed us with 'Thy Kingdom which is to come. For all these things we give thanks to Thee, and to Thine only-begotten Son and to Thy Holy Spirit; for all things of which we know and of which we know not, whether manifest or unseen; and we thank Thee for this liturgy which Thou hast found worthy to accept at our hands, though there stand by Thee thousands of archangels and hosts of angels, the Cherubim and the Seraphim, six-winged, many eyed, who soar aloft, borne on their pinions…

  10. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” Singing the Triumphal Hymn, shouting, proclaiming, and saying: And the people respond with the hymn of the angels in Heaven. “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth (armies or hosts of Angels)! Heaven and earth are full of Your glory! Hosanna(a cry of praise or a cry for salvation…”Save now!”) in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Taken from Isaiah 6:1-5 & Psalm 118:25-26)

  11. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” The Anaphora prayer continues…. …Calling our attention to that one night in which the Divine Son gave himself as food for the faithful, offering himself in sacrifice for the life of the world. “With these blessed powers, 0 Master, who lovest mankind, we also cry aloud and say: Holy art Thou and all-holy, Thou and Thine only-begotten Son and Thy Holy Spirit! Holy art Thou and all-holy, and magnificent is Thy glory! Who hast so loved Thy world as to give Thine only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (Sound Familiar?) Who when he had come and had fulfilled all the dispensation for us. in the night in which he was given up-or rather gave himself up for the life of the world-he took bread in his holy, pure and blameless hands; and when he had given thanks and blessed it, and hallowed it and broken it, he gave it to his holy disciples and apostles saying:”

  12. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” “Take, eat, this is my Body which is broken for you for the forgiveness of sins.” (I Corinthians 11:24) “Drink of it all of you! This is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins! Amen.”(Matt. 26:27-28)

  13. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” Then the priest says aloud: “Thine own of Thine own, we offer unto thee in behalf of all and for all.” (Taken from 1st Chronicles 29:14) • The Significane of this action • The gifts are then lifted up and elevated toward Heaven as a sign that the faithful Christians have been exalted together with their Lord into the Kingdom of God. • All boundaries of time and space are broken, and man is with God in a holy communion which is not of this world.

  14. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” • Then we hearThe Epiclesis (Prayer of Consecration) • In Greek, “Epiclesis” means: To call upon or to invoke. • In this prayer, the priest calls upon God to send down the Holy Spirit upon the gifts. “Make this bread the precious body of Your Christ.” Amen “Make this cup the precious blood of Your Christ.” Amen “Changing them by Your Holy Spirit.” Amen, Amen, Amen • The Epiclesis can be considered to be the “climax of the Anaphora prayer.” • 4. IMPORTANT! (The Epiclesis alone does not effect the change to the gifts.) • a. The church views the change of the gifts as a mystery which takes place throughout the Liturgy. • b. The church teaches that Christ reveals and manifests Himself throughout the entire service. • (As opposed to the Latin view of “Transubstantiation.”)

  15. The Liturgy of the Faithful “Holy Anaphora and Consecration” • The conclusion of the Anaphora Prayer • 1. The priest prays (silently) that our communion in the Eucharist may be for: • “The cleansing of our souls, the forgiveness of our sins, the communion of the Holy Spirit, the fulfillment of the Kingdom of Heaven, boldness toward God, and not for judgment or for condemnation.” • Then the priest remembers (silently) the living and departed saying: • “We offer unto thee this reasonable service for all those who in faith have gone before us to their rest: Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists, Martyrs, Confessors, Ascetics, and every righteous spirit made perfect in faith.” • (This reminds us that the church is ONE CHURCH – not divided by death.) • 3. Then the priest commemorates (out loud) the Mother of God (Theotokos) and all the saints. • Then the priest asks for the salvation of “All Humanity.” Including: • a. The Hierarchs, priest, and deacons. • b. The one holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic church, and for public servants • c. For the local Bishop, the Local church community, those who are traveling, those who are • sick, those who are suffering, and those in prison (captive).

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