Book about the church

Treatise of St. Simeon of Thessalonica “Book of the Church” (64 chapters) is devoted to the structure of the Orthodox church, its sacred objects, vestments of the clergy and liturgical rites. The work is addressed to the pious Christians of Crete. 1. The symbolism of the church: its two-part and tripartite division as the image of Christ, the Holy Trinity, man and the world. 2. Altar space: the symbolism of the holy meal (altar), the veil, the pillars, the relics of the martyrs under the throne, as well as the meaning of the consecration and vestments of the throne. 3. Sacred vestments: a detailed interpretation of each element of the attire of a deacon, priest and bishop, their connection with Christ and the angelic ranks. 4. The rites of the Divine Liturgy: the stages from the proskomedia and entrances (Little and Great) to the reading of the Apostle and the Gospel, the Trisagion, the recitation of the Creed, the consecration of the Gifts (with special emphasis on the invocation of the Holy Spirit - epiclesis), the breaking of bread, communion (both by the clergy and the laity), and actions after the Liturgy (distribution of the antidoron) are examined in detail. 5. The meaning of the Sacraments and their saving power. 6. Polemical aspects: the saint defends the Orthodox teaching on the transfusion of the Holy Gifts by the power of invoking the Holy Spirit, refuting the errors of the Latins. 7. The role of clergy and laity, rules of behavior in the church. Based on the Holy Scriptures and the works of the Fathers of the Church (in particular, Dionysius the Areopagite, St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Maximus the Confessor), St. Simeon reveals the meaning of the Divine Liturgy (as the ultimate goal of the Incarnation and the path to deification). The publication presents a pre-revolutionary translation from 1897. 1. Inspired by Divine love to know the symbolic meaning of the rites and sacred vestments performed during Divine services, accept with love the words that I communicate to you, being also animated by Divine love. God loved us so much that He gave up His only begotten Son for us. The Son of God came to us with love and, being omnipresent, lived among us, was born of the Virgin Mary and passed through all human ages, so that through Him I too would be purified and sanctified by His words and deeds. Finally, He gave Himself to us as communion. He united with me through the flesh that he received in the womb of the Blessed Virgin; but it was necessary for Him to directly unite with all believers, because this serves as the basis of our salvation and our life. He Himself said: “Unless you have eaten the flesh of the Son of man, nor have you drunk His blood, you have no life in you: I also live... and he who eats Me will also live for My sake” (John 6:53,57). 2. He communicated this goodness to us through the Sacraments. He regenerates us through baptism (cf. John 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23), through it introducing us to His passionless birth. Through the laying on of hands and blowing He gives us the grace of peace; and this ointment is He Himself. For it is said: “The ointment poured out is Your name” (Song. 1, 2). He, as God, anointed Himself, and as a man, accepted the anointing. And by anointing us with grace (cf. 1 John 2:20), He gives us fragrant and living strength of spirit (cf. John 3:34). And what is most important, He gives Himself to us as communion, which He showed us by establishing the Sacrament: because, having received the bread and the cup, He consecrated them, and said about the bread: “This is My body”; about the cup: “This is my blood.” But He not only sanctified them, but also called them to communion, because He said: “Take, eat”, and: “Drink of it, all of you” (Matthew 26:26-27). 3. And not only did he himself perform this sacred act, but also commanded that it be performed until the end of the age; because he said: “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24). And indeed He Himself fully partook of flesh and blood and appeared, like us, as a man, being an unchanging Divinity; and in order to make us partakers of His Divinity (cf. 2 Peter 1:4), He did in a Divine way that, being omnipresent, in His omnipotence, present by His Divine power in the bread that we eat and in the wine that we drink, He transforms the bread into His body and the wine into His blood. Through this He unites with us and, like the sun of truth, imparts light to us according to the degree of purity of our souls. But it does not act simply like the sun, which only casts rays; no: He cleanses everything unclean in us and makes us capable of receiving Divine light. 4. since the Sacrament of sacred rites is so great and such is the purpose of the incarnation of the Savior, through which we become partakers of the Divine and ourselves gods by grace, then the Church takes the most careful and pious care about this: She performs in the Liturgy what has been established from its very beginning and through symbols instills truths that exceed all the efforts of the human mind. 5. These visible examples of divine service amaze everyone: but not everyone can comprehend their meaning on their own. Many are perplexed about this or that subject and want to know their reasons. Indeed, what is accomplished in the Liturgy is beyond any concept; not only the human, but also the Angelic mind is unable to comprehend and explain how God incarnates, how we enter into communication with Him, and in general, how what the church preaches and does happens. However, God did not completely leave us without an understanding of His actions, but gave us the means as much as possible to explore, recognize, and understand them, because they were accomplished for us. 6. Thus, I, the least in spirit and humble, convey to you, who have a good opinion of me, with love what I learned from the Holy Fathers. Because we have nothing new; but we, as a symbol of faith, have preserved everything in the form in which it came to us from primitive times. We perform sacred rites exactly as the Savior Himself commanded, as the Apostles and Fathers of the Church established. 7. The Lord performed a sacred ceremony with the disciples, breaking bread and giving them a cup. So now the Church performs a sacred rite: the Bishop or Priest serves the bread and cup to the other celebrants with them. The successor of the Apostles, Holy Dionysius the Areopagite, testifies to this, teaching to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, as we now celebrate; and the God-speaking Teachers, the Great Basil and Saint Chrysostom, having outlined the most extensive rite of the sacred rite, established the service in no other way, but as our Church always contains; this is clearly proven by their prayers pronounced during the celebration of the Eucharist, which indicate the first and second entrance and other parts of the Divine service. 8. According to the definition of the Fathers of the Church, everyone should not enter the Church, and especially the Altar, out of reverence. They obviously ordered the catechumens to be expelled. And Holy Ambrose removed Emperor Theodosius not only from the Altar, but also from the Church. Saint Gregory the Dvoeslov affirms that not only must the Liturgy be celebrated over leavened bread, but he also commands the Holy Churches to be held in special reverence, so much so that he strictly forbids burying the bodies of the deceased in them. 9. Isidore Pelusiot, the most ancient of the Holy Fathers, Teacher of the Church, in many of his epistles also accurately explains the order of our Liturgy. In accordance with them, Maximus the Confessor, wise in Divine speculation, sets out in detail each Mystical action of the Liturgy that the Catholic Church performs, and shows the reasons for each action that occurs during the ceremony. From these and other God-wise Fathers, who before us were carefully engaged in explaining the Sacraments of the Church, having chosen through my research everything that could be useful in their writings for our purpose, I am writing for you, hoping for the help of the Grace of God. 10. First, let's start talking about the Church, for it is an instrument of sacred rites, as well as the Priest; The priest officiates, and the Church contains the Altar. Therefore, it is necessary to talk about both. 11. Although the Church is built from matter, it is overshadowed by the highest grace. It is sanctified by the mysterious prayers of the Bishop, anointed with the Divine world and the whole becomes the village of the Supreme Being. Why not everyone is allowed to enter all parts of it, but some places are designated for sacred persons, and others for the laity. This dual division of the Church into entrance and non-entrance prefigures: 1) Christ, in two beings, as God and as man; of these, the first, i.e., the Divinity, is invisible, the second, i.e., humanity, is visible; 2) represents a person consisting of soul and body; 3) depicts the mystery of the Holy Trinity, which, being essentially unapproachable, is revealed in providence and the forces of nature; 4) prefigures the visible and invisible world; 5) or better to say only the visible world. The altar is an image of heaven; The church is the Divine symbol of the earth. 12. The Church is also divided into three parts: the Narthex, the Church and the Altar. These three parts prefigure: 1) the Holy Trinity, 2) the ranks of the heavenly powers, divided into three Hierarchies, and 3) the pious people themselves, divided into three categories, namely: Priests, completely faithful and repentant. This image of the Divine Church also represents to us what is on earth, what is in heaven, what is above heaven. The porch corresponds to the earth, the Church to heaven, and the most holy Altar to that which is higher than heaven. 13. The Divine Church, through the terrible altar, that is, the Holy Throne, represents God himself. Therefore, the throne is called the Holy of Holies, the seat of God, the place of His rest, the cleansing place for the sins of the whole world, the altar of the highest sacrifice, the tomb of Christ and the village of His glory. Under the name of the curtain, located around the Throne, of course, the heavenly tabernacle near the Throne of God, where the faces of angels live and the righteous rest. Barriers signify the difference between sensory and spiritual objects. 14. At the four corners of the table, or Throne, lies the sacred cloth at its four ends: this signifies that the Church was made up of tribes from all over the world. The names of the four Evangelists are written on the four corners, because through them the composition of the church was formed and the Gospel spread throughout the world. In addition to this, the meal also has an undergarment on it, called the Shroud, and on top of it an upper splendid robe: for the Table is both the Tomb and the Throne of Jesus Christ: therefore, by the srachitsa we mean the Shroud, with which His body was entwined; and under the upper vestment are vestments that are ever present to His glory; This is also clear from the Psalm, during the vesting of the Throne during the Consecration of the Church, proclaimed: “The Lord reigns, clothed in beauty” (Psalm 93:1). 15. The Sacred Table is made of stone: for it signifies Christ, who in the Holy Scripture is called a stone, as our foundation and main support, the cornerstone, the prototype of which was the ancient stone that brought out water for Israel in the desert: but for us, the newly chosen Israel, this stone now wears out not natural water, but the rivers of eternal life, the life-giving Blood of the Word. The place on high represents the incarnate Word, sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven; the other seats, descending on both sides, signify the ranks of dignity of sacred persons and ethereal forces. The priest serves as the image of Jesus Christ Himself, Whom the Holy Gospel also represents among the Divine Throne. The cross lying near the Holy Gospel means His death. 16. Under the Holy Table are placed the Holy relics of the martyrs, because they accompany Christ, the great witness of the heavenly Father, they serve as the foundation of the Altar of the Church, for the Church was founded by the Blood of Christ and the martyrs. The Table is anointed with the Divine myrrh, because it is filled with the wonderful powers of the Spirit, and has living myrrh, which is sacredly performed on it. The Meal is clothed and decorated with coverings from above, because not everyone can see and understand what is happening on it. It is made exalted and adorned, because it is the Throne of the living God. The ranks that have the power to enter the Altar are premium powers; smoking incense, starting from the Holy See, means the descending and fragrant grace of the Holy Spirit. Lighted lamps are the never-fading enlightenment of the Spirit in the Saints. All this is typified by the Altar. 17. The whole Church signifies: 1) this earthly inhabited world, or 2) the visible sky by us, for when we send up prayers, standing before the Church, we consider it heaven and together the paradise of Eden; Therefore, in some Sacred monasteries, during prayer singing, outside the Church, the Church is separated with veils, and they are taken away upon entering the interior of the Church. This means that the Son of God deigned to come down to us and, having destroyed the mediastinum barrier and pacified us, elevated us to heaven. For the same reason, those who have committed serious crimes do not have the courage to enter into it. And the most solemn rite of the Consecration of the Church introduces us to its mysterious heaven and the Church of the Firstborn; when within the Church we perform the sacred rite of the Liturgy, which is more terrible than all the sacraments, then the Altar becomes heaven for us, and the Church means earth: everyone flocks into it and composes a prayerful doxology. 18. In front of the Altar opposite the Royal Doors, the pulpit located marks the stone rolled away from the Tomb of Christ, from which the Priests and Deacons, in the image of the Angel who announced the resurrection of the Savior, preach the Divine Gospel, the Deacons during the Holy Liturgy, and the Priest at Matins along with other morning prayers. The beauty of the church means the beauty of the creation; candles burning on the elevated, hanging Chandelier in the middle of the church vault are radiant stars; and its dome is the firmament; through oil we depict the mercy of our God, abundantly poured out on us; through wax, composed of countless flowers, our complete and universal offering to God, through incense, or incense, Divine love, which extends to everyone, and through it we signify the fragrance of the Holy Spirit. 19. The priests who begin Divine chants inside the Sacred Altar prefigure the first ranks of Spiritual powers standing around the Throne of the Glory of God; Deacons, readers and choirs, proclaiming the Divine Psalms and Holy Scriptures according to the order, mark the middle rejoicings of the heavenly ranks. The people, all confirmed in the orthodoxy. diligently listening to the singers, expecting mercy from God, represents the lower rank of the higher powers. Therefore, criminals or non-Orthodox people should not stand with them, because there is nothing in common between light and darkness. But if someone has turned to the Light, then he can be accepted into the sons of Light without any hindrance. These Sacraments are typified by the Divine Church; but there may also be many other meanings discovered by those who receive the power of understanding from God. 20. The priest in Holy Scripture is called the Angel of the Lord Almighty 1) as a preacher of His Divine commandments and 2) as a zealous executor of His will. It also represents Jesus Christ Himself; for through the laying on of hands he received His authority and power; but above him there is a Bishop who sits on the seat of Christ, and has full power, according to Scripture, to bind and decide; for he is the successor of the Apostles. Therefore, bearing the image of Christ, when he undertakes to perform the Divine rites of the Liturgy, he puts on clothes that have a spiritual meaning and contain mysterious meanings. We will now talk about this to the best of our ability, but let’s start a little higher. 21. Persons ordained in the Altar are divided into three degrees, that is, Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons; the first of these, i.e. Bishops, are called Enlighteners, as having the power to distribute Divine light. For everyone receives the seal of ordination from their hands: Priests, Deacons and clergy. They perform the consecration of churches, baptism, and confirmation. From the abundance of their grace-filled gifts, as from a source of Light, forgiveness of sins and communion of the Sacraments flows to the entire people. The second, that is, the Elders, are called Performers, as soon as they have received perfect grace to perform the Divine Sacraments. Although the Priest baptizes and officiates, he does not ordain, and he can promote the Priest to other positions. Deacons are called Servants because they serve as ministers. They cannot do anything without a Priest, which means the last angelic order. 22. Each of these sacred persons is clothed in clothing appropriate to his rank. Deacon in those that mean the angelic rank. The presbyter, both in this, because he was previously sealed with the grace of the Diaconate, and in those by which the grace given to him to perform the Sacraments is signified; Epitrachelion belongs to this group. But the Bishops put on all these clothes, and in addition, they also take on the Omophorion, with the help of which they represent the incarnate Son of God. 23. The saint first puts on the sticharion, which marks the luminous Angelic robe. Ethereal beings repeatedly appeared in light clothes: for example, an Angel appeared at the tomb of the Savior in light clothes (Matthew 28:3). In addition, the surplice also symbolizes the purity and immaculateness of the sacred order; why clergy are awarded such grace - this is clearly expressed by each of the clergy. And putting on this robe, he says: Let my soul rejoice in the Lord! clothe me with the robe of salvation, and so on. 24. The deacon, prefiguring (as stated above) the rank of the Angel, in addition to the mentioned vestments, also wears on his left shoulder a hanging Orarion, which, being outstretched like a wing, depicts an immaterial and spiritual being of Angelic powers. And therefore, imitating the Cherubim, before the greatness of the glory of the Lord covering their faces during the Divine Liturgy, when he wants to begin Holy Communion, he girds himself with the Orarion in the shape of a cross. The words are inscribed on the Orar: Holy, Holy, Holy. These words demonstrate the official rank of Angelic spirits. In the Bishop's surplice there are so-called rivers or springs. They mean the highest gift in him - to give teachings. And Angels are not all equal. But among them, the most predominant and closest to the Throne of Glory are the teachers of the lower ranks; They are called springs, according to the word of the Savior Himself, who says in the Holy Gospel: “Whoever believes in Me, ... rivers will flow out of his belly and living waters” (John 7:38); The sources located on the Bishop's Mantle mean the same thing. The tablets, lying on top of the sources, are an image of the old and new grace; they show that a teacher of the Church must borrow and draw his teaching from both testaments. All these Sacraments are also signified by the surplice. 25. Epitrachelion means the grace of the Holy Spirit, sent from above, because both the High Priest himself and the Priest, placing it on the head, say: Blessed be God, pour out His Grace on His Priests. Why is it that every Presbyter, when beginning to perform any sacred rite, has the need to place it on his neck. 26. The girdle signifies the service of our Savior, which He performed in His flesh, and which He also promised to render to us in the next century, for in the Gospel He says that He will girdle and recline, He will create them and, coming, He will serve them. In addition to this Sacrament, the belt also symbolizes the fortress and power of Divine power, strengthening the Priests in the passage and immaculate execution of their ministry. Blessed be God, proclaims the Priest, gird me with strength. On his belt the Bishop wears a legguard, which symbolizes 1) the victory given to us over death; 2) the incorruptibility of our nature and 3) both the greatness of the Divine militia and the ferocity of the evil spirit, which is why it has the form of a sword and hangs on the hip at the loins, in which, as they say, lies all human strength. This is confirmed by the sayings that were proclaimed when placing it: “Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one” (Psalm 44:4)! 27. The orders mean 1) the omnipotence of the power of Christ, 2) the fact that at the Last Supper with His own hands He sacrificed His Body and Blood to God the Father. This meaning lies in the words spoken when they are placed: “Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorified in strength” (Ex. 15:6), and: “Thy hands have created me and created me” (Psalm 119:73) and so on. 3) Some interpreters give the instructions as a sign of the bonds of our Savior, with which His most pure hands were bound when he was led from the court of the Bishop to Pilate in the praetor (cf. John 18:12). 28. The Holy Felon represents 1) the power of the Holy Spirit given from above, and even more 2) the mantle in which the Savior was clothed, given over to reproach: that is why it has the appearance of sackcloth, and without sleeves, but more clearly this image of the mantle is represented by the sakkos, which is worn by the leading Bishops; This is depicted by Felon, dotted all over with crosses and called the multi-cross, in which the other Bishops are clothed, to depict the passion of the Savior. He will also signify the one who, through the cross and suffering, fulfilled eternal truth and, having crushed the tormentor of the world ruler, gave us true freedom. Therefore, when laying Felony on, it is said: “Your priests, O Lord, will be clothed with righteousness, and your saints will rejoice with joy” (Psalm 131:9). And indeed, the truth through the Cross gave us joy. 29. The Priest (with the exception of only the legguard) and the Deacon are clothed with these clothes, and such, in our understanding, are their mysterious signs. But the Hierarch puts on himself both the loincloth and other garments, and through this he has the grace that is bestowed upon all the Priests. Most of all, the hierarchical character of the Bishop differs from all others by the sacred Omophorion, woven from the wave, with which he is clothed both in front and behind his shoulders. This signifies the incarnation of the Word of God from the Virgin. Therefore, it is made from a wave, which symbolizes 1) the lost sheep that the Savior raised up to His frame; and this sheep is our nature; 2) He himself was called the Lamb, slain for us: this meaning is confirmed by the very exclamations when laying him on the shoulder; This must be understood about sacred clothing. In the frame, Christ, having taken the lost nature, ascended, you brought it to God and the Father. 30. Eastern Bishops and Priests with open heads perform the Divine Liturgy, excluding only the Patriarch of Alexandria. They do this not out of lack of respect, but because the highest divine meaning is connected with it. The Apostle Paul calls Jesus Christ the head, and us members, and therefore commands us, out of respect for the Head, to pray with open heads. In addition, just as a Priest accepts ordination with an open head, he must also pray and perform sacred acts with an open head; a Bishop, even more so, because at his ordination, the Gospel, the words given to us by God, is placed on his head. 31. Here can anyone say: the Patriarch of Alexandria and many other bishops, wearing, although according to ancient tradition, a sacred veil (that is, a Miter or Hierarch’s cap) on their heads, are they really acting illegally? I do not say this, because this custom is truly the most ancient tradition among those who contain it, and it was borrowed from the very Old Testament rituals. The High Priest of the Old Testament wore a Kidar on his head, which was also called Mithra, just as those who wear the Mithra today can still say that through it they represent the crown of thorns of our Lord, or sir. With all this, those who wear it, performing sacred rites, remove it from their heads on appropriate occasions, and thereby prove that it is necessary to follow the tradition of the Divine Paul. 32. The bishop, intending to officiate, descends from the solea and goes to the western doors of the church, through this depicting the descent of the Son of God to us; then he puts on sacred clothes, and thus prefigures His most holy incarnation. Having descended to the western doors of the church, it represents His appearance on earth, and even death and descent into hell. This is what he means when he moves into the middle of the Church to the western gate. 33. Then, with the blessing of the Bishop, the Holy Liturgy begins, for nothing can begin without his blessing. Then the Priests, standing inside the Divine Altar, secretly say the prayers of the Antiphons, signifying the heavenly ranks of the spiritual army; the faces proclaim - Antiphons, prefiguring the Council of the God-voiced Prophets, dividing them into three parts in the glorification of the Holy Trinity. First they put exclamations taken from the psalms, and then add to them the hymns of new grace; The psalm words proclaim the Words of God's incarnation, which was also communicated to the ancient Patriarchs by Prophetic revelations. Through the choruses added to them, they signify the very grace that has already been received. Therefore, first of all, reverently honoring the incorruptible virgin birth of His Mother, we ask Her intercession for us, proclaiming: Through the prayers of the Mother of God, Savior, save us! Then, remembering the councils of the Saints, who labored to death for the Sacrament of Faith, and who received the crown of righteousness in heaven from the Master of Labor, we pray for their intercession. Finally, we exalt the Author of our salvation and Finisher, Jesus Christ, with zealous praises and solemnly exclaim: Save us, O Son of God. 34. Thus, the Hierarch, having performed the prayers of the Antiphons outside the Holy Altar at the Western Gate, stands with the Deacons, who not only form the God-chosen Apostolic Face, but also the Angels themselves, who served Christ in the mysterious vision of the incarnation. Then the Priests, having finished their praises inside the Holy Altar, go out to the Bishop's Ambon. Through this the descent of Angels from the highest circles in the Ascension of Christ is signified. Then the Deacons walk in front of them, two in a row with lighted candles; they are followed by the sacred Gospel, and then the Bishop himself, surrounded from everywhere and supported by the Deacons, comes to the Altar; The other clergy follow him, shouting loudly: Come, let us worship and fall before Christ. Soon after, the clergy sings greetings to the Bishop; A little earlier, the Deacon, holding the Gospel with his hands, exclaims: Wisdom, forgive! 35. The procession depicts the Mystery of the Resurrection and Ascension of our Savior. Deacon exclaiming: Wisdom! preaches His rebellion, like the Angel who announced the Resurrection; the other face of the Priests and Deacons represents the Apostles, co-present with the Lord and enjoying His sight, and equally means the most holy Angels. The bishop prefigures the risen Lord Himself, who appeared to the disciples and ascended from earth to heaven. That is why it is said above that the Church is an image of the earth, and the most holy Altar is a likeness of heaven. And how, during the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, His glory was preceded, with Divine triumph, by the faces of the spiritual forces and, according to the prophecy of the God-inspired Prophet and King David, Take the gates! exclaimed to the high officials, proclaiming him the King of Glory and Lord: the Church creates a similar triumph when it welcomes with the singing of many years (εἰς πολλὰ ἔτη, Δέσποτα) the Hierarch, magnificently entering the holy Altar, and the sacred doors of the Altar, before him the entrances that were closed, opening at the very entrance, represents the opening of the previously closed gates of heaven, during the ascension of Christ into the Holy Place not made by hands. 36. The Bishop who entered the Altar, burning fragrant incense around the Holy Altar, signifies the descent of the Holy Spirit, the heavenly shadow of which soon covered us after Jesus Christ ascended to the glory of His Father. By enclosing the Gospel with Dikirie, it makes it clear that through the incarnation of the Son of God, both in heaven and on earth, the enlightenment of Jesus Christ, worshiped in two natures, shone. For the incarnation of the Hypostatic Word illuminated not only people, but also Angels, and taught them the knowledge of the hidden Mysteries of God, that He who became incarnate is the Son of God himself. 37. This is immediately followed by the Song of the Trisagion. This Divine singing proclaims the Mystery of the Holy Trinity, which was confessed to men by the one of the Trinity, the incarnate Son of God, who dwells in the bosom of the Father. It also means the unanimity and peaceful union of Angels with people, and therefore it is proclaimed both inside the Holy Altar by the sacred ranks, and outside by the clergy and people present, because Jesus Christ formed the Church from Angels and people. This is also what the Bishop means, with the Tricurium he defends the Gospel for the second time, showing that the Gospel contains the sermon about the Trinity, praying, moreover, that this sermon may be established. After this, the Bishop ascends to the High Place, which prefigures the Throne of Jesus Christ at the right hand of God the Father, and from there, overshadowing the Trikiria, teaches us: 1) that our sanctification stems only from the Holy Trinity; 2) that Christ, having ascended into heaven, sent down upon us both the radiance of the Trinitarian Divinity (which is signified by the light of this lamp) and His blessing. Having ascended to the High Place and sitting on it, the Bishop represents Jesus Christ, and other Bishops and Priests sit on the sides, representing the face of the Apostles, and the Bishop proclaims: Peace to all! this is demonstrated by our unanimous union. For Christ, according to the teaching of the Holy Apostle Paul, “is our peace, having destroyed hostility in His flesh and creating both one, even in heaven and on earth” (Eph. 2, 14–15). 38. This is followed by the reading of the Apostolic Epistles, through which the sending of the Apostles to preach is marked: the reading of the Epistles Bishops and Priests, except for some Deacons, listen, sitting in their places, for they have grace equal to the Apostles. Before the Gospel, the song Alleluia is proclaimed, which is praise to the living God and heralds the coming of Divine grace, signified by the reading of the Holy Gospel. 39. Reading the Gospel means preaching the Gospel, which was announced to the whole world after the Ascension of the Lord, through His disciples. First, the Apostolic Epistles are read, and then the Gospel is proclaimed because the disciples of Christ were first sent to preach, being strengthened by the power from above: then, flowing around the entire universe, they preached the Gospel. Worshiping before the Gospel signifies the incense of the Holy Spirit, which, through the preaching of the Gospel throughout the world, having spread throughout the world, has perfumed human hearts with faith in the Son of God. 40. When the Holy Gospel is read, then the Bishop lays down the Omophorion, thereby testifying to his submission before the Lord. For then He Himself speaks with the voice of the Gospel, He Himself is present: and in His presence the High Priest does not dare to wear the image of His incarnation, that is, the Omophorion, but takes it off his shoulders and gives it to one of the Deacons, who, having folded it, holds it with his right hand, standing near him, and during the Great Entrance solemnly walks with it in front of the Holy Gifts, in honor and respect for their great dignity. 41. During the reading of the Gospel, one of the Deacons holds a burning trikirium in front of the Gospel; this means: 1) that in the bliss of the coming age, the object of vision and reflection for everyone will be Jesus, clothed with the flesh of humanity and given over to suffering for us: 2) that Christ, who is one of the Trinity, enlightens us with the light of His Divinity. At the end of the Gospel, the Bishop, descending from the High Place and sending up prayer for the Kings, overshadows the people with the trikirium and thereby teaches that both the pious Kingdom and the Priesthood are established by the Gospel, and therefore asks the eternally reigning Trinitarian Deity, that both of them may remain unharmed under the shadow of grace. 42. Then, having approached the Divine Throne, he begins to offer prayers as a minister of the Sacrament; Soon after this, the catechumens are commanded to leave the church and only the believers are allowed to remain during the performance of the sacred rite. This time of the Divine Liturgy means the end of this age. When, says the Savior, the Gospel is preached throughout the world, then death will come; at the end, the Son of man will send His angels and separate the wicked from the righteous (Matthew 24:14, 31). In accordance with this action of God's destinies, the Church also creates She commands the catechumens to leave the church and remain only as believers. 43. Therefore, it should be noted and understood what precaution the faithful must have so as not to have communication with people who do not think Orthodoxy, and with those who live unworthy of the Christian calling! Sacred persons are obliged to take the greatest care in this regard. For if it is unlawful to pray with a person rejected by the Church, then it is all the more impermissible to honor him with communion of sacrifice. Priests should not accept offerings from unworthy people. 44. Before transferring the Holy Gifts from the altar to the Throne, during the Cherubic Song, the Saint washes his hands in front of all the people, thereby demonstrating his purity and freedom of conscience, with which he begins to perform sacred acts, and, moreover, inspires us that we must approach the terrible Mysteries, having first cleansed ourselves from all filth, and so serve the most pure Mysteries. 45. Then follows the transfer of Divine gifts. It happens with great splendor. Readers, Deacons, Presbyters and other ministers of the Church, some with lighted candles, others with sacred vessels, go some in front, others behind. This solemn accompaniment of the Gifts signifies the coming of the Savior at the end of the age, when He will appear with glory; That is why it is preceded by the Omophorion, representing the Cross inscribed on it. This cross means the sign of Jesus Christ, which will then appear from heaven, and which every person will then see. The cross also means Jesus Himself, who then had to come with power and much glory. The Omophorion is followed by the Deacons, forming the ranks of Angels, which are marked by the Ripides, which St. Dionysius calls wings. Then come those who bear the Divine Gifts, and after them others. After that comes the one who on his head carries the Sacred Veil, called Air. This Air forms the naked and dead Jesus, escorted to Divine Burial. They all go around the church, praying for the people, also for the officiating Bishop, sending out prayers loudly. They pray that God will remember them in His kingdom. And this all proves that at the end of the world the Savior, appearing from heaven and separating the wicked from the council of the righteous, will give the inheritance of the Kingdom of God to those who believed. This Kingdom of God is the God-man Himself, Christ Jesus, and reflections on His vision, that is: we will then contemplate only this: that the Only Begotten Son of God humbled Himself even to death, was sacrificed for our redemption, that His body, slain for us, being deified and filled with every gift of life, shows us the types of ulcers, that, having changed into immortality, it granted victory over death, from these signs corruption sharpens for us incorruption and deification with the Angels, has become food, drink, life, true light, bread of life and eternal life. And so this entrance is a foreshadowing of both the second coming of Christ and His burial, for He Himself will be one of our eternally blessed kingdom. 46. ​​During this magnificent procession, all believers duly bow their heads to the Priests and make obeisances, asking for their prayers and remembrance during the Divine rites, as well as expressing respect to the Holy Gifts. For although they have not yet been completely consecrated, they have already been consecrated to God in Proskomedia, where the Priest offered a prayer to the Lord for them, so that He would accept them into the heavenly altar, although they have not yet been completely transformed into the body and blood of the Lord, they have already been prepared for this sacrifice, and they are a sacrifice to God, they are pre-images of the Master’s body and blood. If we give honor and worship to the Holy Icons, then we must worship even more these Sacred Gifts, which, according to the explanation of the great Basil, are in place of the image, the essence of the destinies of the highest Sacraments, and are destined for that great accomplishment to be the body and blood of Christ. It is necessary to fall before the Priests for the sacred vessels carried from them, even if some of them were empty. All are filled with the Holy because of the Gifts performed in them. It should not be surprising that some of the sacred vessels, without any investment in them, are worn in this famous ceremony. For they are worn out of reverence for the Holy Gifts and so that both those who look at them and those who approach them receive sanctification. 47. When these sacred signs of the Body and Blood of Christ are placed at the Divine Table, then they are covered with Air. This means that Jesus Christ, from the beginning of His appearance, was not recognized by everyone as the Son of God, and although He took on human flesh, the Divinity was inseparably with Him and is always incomprehensible and unsearchable, and can be known as much as His Majesty Himself deigns to reveal to someone. 48. Then, bowing his head, the Bishop asks everyone for prayers and for himself: 1) recognizing himself as a human being as equal to everyone; moreover, 2) being horrified and trembling at the service set before him; to this end, 3) fulfilling the Apostolic command: “Confess,” says Saint James, “one another’s sins and pray for one another” (James 5:16); for he does not dare to pray for himself, being a man burdened with infirmities. In such a humble way, having asked for prayers for himself from the clergy, he leaves the Altar and overshadows the people, praying for people, and asking prayers for himself from everyone. The face then is not Lord have mercy! but, For many years, Master! exclaims (εἰς πολλὰ ἔτη, Δέσποτα), wishing him success in the priesthood, and a long-term stay in the priesthood. 49. Upon his return to the holy Altar, the royal doors are closed, for the Sacraments performed there should not be visible to everyone, but only those who are called to perform them. And how, according to the wise Dionysius in the mysteries of the Divine, such an order has been established between the Angelic forces that the first ranks enjoy the light of the Divine directly, the second through the first, and the last through these intermediaries are illuminated by the light of the Divine: a similar order is seen in the Church. The bishop directly approaches the Holy Meal, the Priests and other ministers of the Sacraments through him, and through them the common people enter into communion with the terrible sacred rite, and hear the Divine praises sung. 50. After completing the prayer of the offering of Gifts and other offerings, before the proclamation of the Divine Symbol, there is a kiss. It signifies: 1) that by confession of the right Trinity, and of one of Her incarnate Persons, we are united not only with each other, but with the Angels; and 2) that it is our immutable duty to love each other, for Christ offered Himself for us as a sacrifice to God the Father, only out of one Divine love for us; 3) this kiss also means that the one approaching holy communion should by no means appear before the Altar with a heart spewing out anger and vengeance at his minion. 4) this also foreshadows that in the promised life everyone will be united in a sincere union of friendship, and the reproach of the enemy will not be heard there; for hostile spirits will be far rejected from that peaceful citizenship. During the reading of the Symbol, the Priests hold the Air over the Holy Gifts, shrouding them, and, as if hiding their hair from contemplation, until it is completed, they inspire us that whoever wants to see Jesus Christ must first confess the secrets of looking at Him with a right mind, a pure heart and unfeigned lips. 51. Having completed all this, the Bishop proceeds to the Eucharist itself, which he begins by counting the great deeds of God, and having thanked God for everything, proceeds to the solemn praise of the incorporeal armies, and united with them, he proclaims a single victorious song to the Lord of hosts: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts, fill heaven and earth with Your Glory. The people also exclaim the same song, showing that in the coming age all of us, united in one society with the Angels, will exclaim the same praise with them to the Lord of Hosts. Further, having glorified the most majestic work of God, more than all God’s good deeds, the very incarnation of the only begotten Son of God and his vision, that is, death, then he proceeds to remember the Sacraments in Zion at the supper performed, and he himself proclaims the Divine verbs that the Savior then spoke, acting sacredly. 52. Having given thanks for all this to His wonderful providence for us, and the types of bread and wine offered on the Throne, for everyone and for all His good deeds shown to us, offering Him a sacrifice, then asks both for himself and for the Gifts presented, the sending down of the grace of the Holy Spirit; Having consecrated the Gifts with the cross-shaped sign of his hand and invoking the Holy Spirit, he already sees Jesus Christ Himself in them, reclining before him, Who is for us the bread and cup of life. For this is His word: This bread is My body; His and this: and the hedgehog in the cup is My blood, the cleansing sacrifice of the whole world; sweetness that revives souls; spiritual joy; the kingdom of heaven, the true good given to believers from the Holy Meal. 53. Therefore, the Hierarch boldly sends out prayers for everyone; with boldness because he sees the man-loving and kindly Lord, humbly reclining before his face and performing sacred acts for the purification of the world, and he sings Him and prays for everyone and remembers the departed, especially about the virgin-bearing Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God. By this we testify that through this sacrifice we have entered into communion with the saints, that they, having boldness towards Him who loved them, and from them the beloved Lord, can reconcile and unite us with Him, through prayers poured out in front of His face. After this, asking earnestly from God the Father, may he grant us with one mouth and one heart to boldly sing His magnificent name, and having called upon us the mercy of our God Jesus Christ, he leads us into adoption to the heavenly Father, praying together, so that, having been cleansed through His consubstantial Son from all vice, we may, by His goodness, be His sons, and worthily call Him our heavenly Father. Our adoption to the heavenly Father shows both our unanimity with each other and our union with God in the Holy Spirit, through His only begotten Son, which must be accomplished in the coming age. For this, the Bishop prays and thanks God, bowing his head, asking Him to send down His blessing on everyone, to sanctify and strengthen them for good, and to grant them the Mysteries without condemnation. 54. Having thus performed the sacred act, the Bishop proceeds to the communion itself. Getting started, he takes Omophorus back to his ramen; This means that he was previously in the position of a minister and therefore did not dare to put on this priestly vestment. And when the sacred ceremony is over, and he must raise the bread, break it into pieces, commune himself, and then allow others to receive communion, then he has the need to clothe himself with all the sacred signs of his dignity. But the primary decoration of the Holy Order is the Omophorion; which is why I must adorn myself with this splendid garment and receive the Divine Gifts in it. 55. So, putting on the Omophorion, raising the bread, and shouting: Holy to the Saints! to the Divine and living food presented at the sacred meal, calls with this voice all those who have prepared themselves for the holiness of life: Holy to the Holy! The people answer with one mouth and heart: One is Holy, One is Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. This unanimous proclamation of people means this solemn recognition and confession of Jesus Christ from the whole world, which, according to the foreshadowing of the Holy Apostle, will be fulfilled on the last day, when “every tribe of heaven, and earth, and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11). This prophecy confesses both the common union of believers and the unanimous preaching of all the peoples of the world of the incarnate Son of God, who will reign over all, and whose kingdom, according to scripture, will have no end. The response of the people to the words: “Holy to the Holy,” with the exclamation: “One is Holy,” and so on, means, firstly, that uncreated holiness with which the Being of God abounds in Himself from eternity and which is the source of sanctification for all; and secondly, our humility. We seem to exclaim like this: “Who among us can be clean from sins, or who is holy? There is only one Holy One, one God-man, Jesus Christ, who, out of His love for mankind, sanctifies us.” 56. The exaltation of the Holy Bread prefigures the ascension of Jesus Christ to the Cross; Therefore, there will be a Chalice near Him, containing the very Blood and water that then flowed from the side of Christ. Then the Bishop crushes the Holy Bread into four parts and places it in the shape of a cross; By creating such a fragmentation of the Lamb, he thus prefigures the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. What could be more majestic than this object? For the supreme God Himself is contemplated here, having become for us a humble man. Then, taking the upper part of the Holy Bread and creating with it the image of the Cross over the Chalice, he puts it into the Chalice, and through this creates the union of the Sacraments. At this connection he pours warm water into the Chalice, testifying that the Body of the Lord Jesus, after being separated from His spirit on the Cross, although it was dead, nevertheless remained life-giving. For the Divinity, hypostatically united with Him, did not abandon Him: the miraculous powers, which had previously flowed immensely from Him, did not depart from Him. The influence of water can also have the following sign: just as warm water, by its warmth, is a life-giving principle, so that this life-giving nature can be felt by us even at the very time of divine communion, it is put into the Chalice, so that we, touching the holy Chalice with our lips, and receiving the dissolution of the Blood of the Lord, would feel the impression as if from the very pierced saving rib of the Lady we were drinking the life-giving Blood, still breathing warm vapors. This is how we understand the influence of warmth in the Chalice! There are many other reasons for this sacred act from God-wise Church teachers, but the above-mentioned explanation is sufficient for us: for it is the very thing that the Church signifies when she puts warmth into the Holy Gifts, with the following words: warmth of faith, fill with the Holy Spirit. This is even more clearly demonstrated in the Presanctified Liturgy by the use of warmth; for if for some other reason this water had been poured into the Holy Gifts, then there would have been no need to pour it into the Chalice a second time; because already at the perfect Liturgy it was in the dissolution of the Body and Blood of Christ. 57. Then the Bishop crushes the Holy Bread into many particles, and in this way imitates the sacred action of Jesus Christ Himself. He, as is narrated in the Gospel, “took bread,...broke it, and gave it to His disciples” (Matthew 26:26). First of all, he himself partakes of the Holy Bread, and then the terrible Chalice; no one else can give him the Holy Mysteries, unless he is the Bishop just like him. After communion himself, he distributes the Divine Gifts to the other Priests of the Altar; They, accepting them, kiss his hand and cheek. Through this distribution it is meant that Jesus will remain in unbreakable union with His flesh in the coming century, but it will also be an object of vision and eternal pleasure for the eyes of the blessed. The priests kiss the hand and cheek of the Hierarch because: 1) because the hand is the servant of the terrible Mysteries and touches them closely; and the cheek is an instrument with which prayers are performed: they also kiss the hand and cheek of the Bishop 2) and as a sign of our mutual love and union with each other, which is confirmed by the very words spoken at this time: Christ is in our midst; 3) in remembrance that our Lord was slain on it; this should awaken in the Bishop the thought of how humble the Teacher of all, the Lord, was! and destroy all sense of pride in him. 58. After communion of all the Priests in the Holy Altar near the Throne itself in such a way that first taking the Bread in their hands, then drinking from the Chalice, in the order of their degrees, then the covered Holy Gifts are shown; this is done as a sign that it is not appropriate for everyone to contemplate the terrible Secrets. Then if someone has prepared himself for communion by approaching with fear and reverence, he is granted it; however, he receives communion not directly from the Chalice, but through the Liar from the hand of the Saint. Then the Bishop, having prayed for God’s property and for the most pious Emperor and His people, asking for their salvation and His blessing, releases the Holy Gifts with incense into the Offering, pronouncing everything that recalls the ascension of the Savior, and according to it the glory of His preaching, which announced to all creation. It is as if he then converses with the Savior in this way: You descended to us and appeared among us as a man equal to us, You ascended into heaven to Your Father, and filled the earth with Your glory; We, invested with it, performing Your Divine Mysteries, commune with You, and remain inseparable from You. 59. Then the Holy Gifts are transferred to the Offering; The paten is placed on the head of the Deacon, and the Chalice is carried by the Priest in his hands; The Bishop himself, having offered prayers of thanks and washed his hands, leaves the Holy Altar and distributes the so-called Antidor to the people. And since the Hierarch represents the image of Jesus Christ, Whom he sacrificed in the Sacred rite, whose Body and Blood he partook of and gave to others to partake of, it is necessary for people to be worthy of sanctification, which, although believers receive in a mysterious and spiritual way from listening to prayers and being present at a terrible Sacred rite, we are clothed with a sensory body and, therefore, we need to receive sanctification through something visible. This very thing is sent down to us through the perception of Antidor. “Antidorus is consecrated bread, for which prayers are offered in the Offering, from which the inner part is removed, and in the Sacred Service it is consecrated into the body of the Lady, through the prayers of the Bishops or Priests.” This Bread, as if bearing a sign with a copy, having been vouchsafed after everything and Divine verbs, instead of terrible Gifts is distributed, that is, to those who have not partaken of the Divine Mysteries. After this, the Bishop, having asked for the Lord’s blessing on those who are to come, ends the Liturgy. 60. We wanted to explain in more detail the Mysteries of the Divine Service, but the weakness of our mind forbids us to extend further, and besides, we know that some of the great and most skilled men in Divine speculation have already written quite a lot about this very subject, according to the high level of their knowledge, we are silent, referring you to their wise writings. And everything that we have stated in these discussions was not invented on our own, but was drawn from the writings of the Fathers, who wisely spoke about these subjects. We also intended to explain what was happening at Proskomedia; but the same great Teachers discussed this at length, why there is no need for us to talk about them, we will mention this only briefly. 61. According to the ancient institution, first, the Priest prepares the Lamb for sacrifice, then combines wine and water in a cup; then he brings particles to God: the first of them, in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord, and the others in memory of the Saints, the rest about the living and the dead, who died in the faith. And so the question is asked: “What power do the particles have in themselves? and are they transformed into the Body of the Lord? what effect do they have on those for whom they are sacrificed?” 62. That particles bring many different benefits to those for whom they are offered, this is the teaching from the ancient Fathers that has come down to us. During the sacred rite, the particles represent the very persons on whose behalf they are taken out, and are sacrificed to God for them. This is confirmed by the words spoken by the Priest during Proskomedia: Accept, O Lord, he says, this sacrifice on Your heavenly altar! The particles brought to the Saints serve them for glory, honor, for increasing their dignity and for greater acceptance of the Divine Light; for the faithful, those offered to the departed intercede for deliverance from sins and the participation of Divine grace, while for the living, if they live their lives only in repentance, they provide protection from misfortunes, and serve as an intercession for the remission of sins. And therefore, the Divine rites to the councils of the Saints occur to increase the unwavering glory, and bestow upon the faithful Divine mercy and His bounties. 63. But as much as it is beneficial for the one for whom this sacrifice is made when he lives worthy of the Christian title, so much is it disastrous and harmful for the one who, having given himself over to a sinful life, neglects the worthy correction of the Christian title. For a particle, being brought on behalf of any Christian, and reclining near the Divine bread, when it is sacred and transformed into the Body of the Lord, becomes part of the consecration, and brought into the dissolution of the Holy Chalice is then watered with the life-giving Blood: therefore, it sends down grace to the soul for which it is offered; then the spiritual union of man with God takes place. If the soul is pious, or although through weakness it falls into sin, it is then cleansed by repentance: such a soul invisibly receives the communion of the Holy Spirit, and is often rewarded with bodily benefits, this is repeatedly demonstrated by experience. If someone, being given over to sin, and does not want to retreat from it, such as someone unworthy of communion with God, will receive the worst condemnation for himself from the sacrifice made for him. Therefore, the Priest must carefully observe so as not to accept offerings and offer sacrifices for such people who, having banished shame and conscience from their hearts, indulge in all lawlessness; for this the Priest himself is condemned along with them. This is why man experiences many different temptations and sorrows. “For this reason,” Paul cries, “there are many in you who are weak and ill, and sleep contentedly” (1 Cor. 11:30). 64. And so the Priest must, in these so many great buildings of God, be strictly attentive to himself and test and reason with himself, according to the Scriptures, and be as careful as possible. For if it is his unchangeable duty to care for others, then even more so for himself! If “he who eats and drinks unworthily, judges himself to eat and drink” (1 Cor. 11:29), the more condemned is the one who dares to perform the priesthood unworthily. Therefore, we, who have accepted the grace of the Priesthood, must be as attentive to ourselves as possible, take care of purity and holiness, and learn an unforgettable disposition. May humility and love increase in our souls! These virtues are the first properties of Jesus Christ. Then in the present century we will commune with Him worthily, and in the future we will be rewarded with an unspeakable and eternal union with Him, by the grace and love of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to Whom belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His beginningless Father, and with the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen. You might be interested in: