Explanation of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

"Explanation of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts" represents one of the earliest testimonies about the Constantinople liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. The authorship of the work is attributed to St. Theodore Studitus. According to research, it was written in the 12th-13th centuries. The author emphasizes from the very beginning that the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts differs from other services in its “secret and sad” character, which makes it “more mysterious.” The essay consistently describes the actions of the priest and the brethren (vesting, initial prayers, reading psalms, proverbs, etc.). It also explains the use of the exclamations “Blessed is our God” (as a symbol of humility and persistent prayer), “Presanctified Holy One” (Gifts have already been consecrated earlier). The call to receive communion “with the fear of God, faith and love” is viewed from a trinitarian point of view: “fear” is associated with the glory of the Father, “faith” with the Son and “love” with the Holy Spirit. * Title of the work in Latin: Explicatio divinae liturgiae praesanctificatorum. Listen, child, with attention to how the succession (liturgy) of the presanctified Gifts should be performed. In other services, the sacred rite is performed openly and solemnly, but here, on the contrary, it is hidden and sad. As a result, the whole sequence is more mysterious. The priest, having put on sacred clothes, having pronounced the trisagion and the troparion of the day, adding to this three times God, be merciful to me a sinner, reads a prayer over the censer, stands before the divine meal and, censing in the shape of a cross, does not proclaim Blessed is the kingdom - since this exclamation serves as a sign of victory and impartial boldness - but (pronounces) the exclamation - Blessed is God ours - which is a symbol of humility and has the character of persistent supplication. While the brethren sing the opening psalm, the priest reads the prayers of the lamp. At the end of both, he pronounces the litany with the usual exclamation. After this, the reader immediately begins the 18th kathisma, and the divine celebrant, reading the 50th psalm, prepares the previously consecrated saint on the altar. bread. At each glory of the 18th kathisma he recites a small litany. When the singer begins to sing Psalm 140, the priest burns incense throughout the altar and church. During the singing of troparions (i.e., stichera), the entrance to Glory is made, but without the Gospel, with only one censer. The brethren sit down while reading the parimia. At the end of them, the priest sings “Let him be corrected” with his verses, and at this time the brethren kneel, as is usually done during prayers. After entering with the Holy Gifts, the gates are immediately closed. The Priest covers the Gifts with only one outer covering, which is usually called air. At the moment of the ascension, he does not remove this cover, but, lifting up the bread under it, he exclaims: “The presanctified saint,” and then he removes the air. In this, as well as in other signs, the mysterious nature of the sacrifice is indicated - it is completed now, but it was sanctified earlier, it is united with the holy blood, and now the sign of the cross is added to this. Then the priest, calling the brethren to communion, says: “With the fear of God, faith and love2. This exclamation contains an indication of the divine image of the life-giving Trinity: with the word fear he calls the divine and luminous glory of the Father, faith - the only begotten and co-original Son, and, finally, love - the good and most holy Spirit. After communion with the brethren, the priest exclaims: “Save, O God, Thy people.” Having drawn the sign of the honorable cross, he does not leave the divine Gifts on the holy throne, but immediately transfers them to the altar. After this, the clergyman reads the prescribed prayer for communion. This is what, child, I have to tell you from my own knowledge on this subject, as well as from what I learned from other people who have reached the highest degree of knowledge in this matter. All of the above actions are performed not only here, but also in other services, such as, for example, an exclamation before communion, placing the Gifts on the altar, closing the gates, with the only exception that there the bread is offered openly, at the beginning (of the liturgy) a proskomedia is performed and the proclamation is made: Blessed is the kingdom of God, to Him be glory forever. Amen. You might be interested in: