An excerpt from the word on the Divine sacred rite

“An excerpt from the word on the Divine rite” is devoted to the interpretation of the divine service of the Orthodox Church. This is the work of St. Sophronius of Jerusalem was discovered relatively recently and contains unique information about the understanding and symbolism of church rites in the 7th century. The passage begins with a general overview of the origins of the liturgical rites, going back to the apostolic tradition and the subsequent works of the holy fathers. It is emphasized that the existing liturgies of Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom are fundamental in church practice. The main part of the work is devoted to a detailed symbolic explanation of the structure of the church and sacred rites. St. Sophrony examines each element of the church, church utensils, vestments of the clergy and the rites of the liturgy, revealing their spiritual meaning and connection with the Old Testament prototypes, the events of the earthly life of Christ and eschatological omens. Particular attention is paid to the interpretation of the proskomedia and the celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Contents Brief information about St. Sophronia, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the translation offered here is an excerpt from his word. An excerpt from the word of St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, on divine rites Brief information about St. Sophronia, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the translation offered here is an excerpt from his words St. Sophronius, who was the Patriarch of Jerusalem from 633 A.D. and died shortly after the capture of Jerusalem by the Saracens in 636, left a blessed memory for his valiant exploits in defense of Orthodoxy against the monoliths, which he actively opposed even before his accession to the throne of the Patriarchs of Jerusalem, and having already become a patriarch. The history of the Church also preserves the memory of his writings, in which, until Photius’s remark, the spirit of true piety breathes and the reader can find deep knowledge and an accurate presentation of the dogmas of the faith. The church that named St. Sophrony's canonization made both his exploits in favor of Orthodoxy especially venerable, and the writings that remained after him precious for every Orthodox Christian. An excerpt from the words of St. Sophronia, offered here in translation, is all the more precious because it was found not so long ago and completely by accident and unexpectedly: because before even the existence of this word was not known. It was found in one of the Vatican codes and placed in the edition of May “Specilegium Romanum” 1840, vol. 4, from where we borrowed it for translation. When you read this passage, rich in thoughtful and deeply edifying views on the order of Orthodox worship, you cannot help but regret that the entire word of St. Patriarch and the passage itself in the list has omissions, grammatical errors and some insertions, which in some places make it difficult for the translator to determine the real meaning of the translated passage. But let us also be grateful for what has become known to us from the precious word of St. A father whose testimonies and comments on the order of Orthodox worship are doubly precious - both because of their antiquity and because of their inner dignity. The word, of which the passage is offered, has the following inscription in the May edition: “A word containing a general outline of church history and a detailed explanation of everything that is performed in the divine rite.” This inscription in general terms corresponds to the content of the word, as far as can be judged from the passage, if only by the name “church history” we mean “the history of the church, church services, rituals, etc.”, and by “essay” we mean a short note at the very beginning of the word about the original composition and arrangement of Christian worship. It is unlikely, however, that this inscription was not attached to the word after St. Sophronius by some collector or copyist of his writings. An excerpt from the words of St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, on divine rites After the descent of the Comforter, according to the promise and word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: “When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, and he will teach you and remember everything that has been taught to you, and he will tell you everything else that you cannot now hear or comprehend” (John 16:13–14, 14:26), - the Apostles accepted the rank of bishop, having been taught by the Holy Spirit, who descended on them in the form of tongues of fire and ordained them to be bishops for each of the nations whose language he taught them to speak. They composed prayers for the sacraments of divine rites, taking into account the measure of the zeal of the people, and the times of persecution, and the cunning of the persecutors. And although in prayers and offerings they naturally differed from each other, according to the order of the tradition of the sacraments, everyone invariably observed the same one that our Lord Jesus Christ also betrayed. And after the God-speaking Apostles, some of the divine Fathers composed prayers and offerings, and the complete observance of sacred services, such as the glorious Epiphanius among the saints, and the great Basil, and the divine Chrysostom. And they, although each wrote for himself, all equally drew from the waters of the living source of the Comforter the institutions that the Orthodox Church accepted as if Christ himself had spoken and made them. And now primarily in use (κρατε͂ι) is the sacred rite of the great Basil and John Chrysostom with the Liturgy of the Presanctified (gifts), about which some say that it is of James, called the brother of the Lord, others - of the Supreme Peter, others - otherwise. Since you are supposed to talk about what happens in divine services, it is necessary to say in advance what a church is and with what sign the semicircle, co-altar, vault, etc. are arranged. The Church (ἐκκλησία) is so called because the Orthodox gather and are convened into it; it is also called - περιοχὴ (container) because it contains the miracles of God. Semicircle 1 (κόγχη) corresponds to the cave of Bethlehem and the cave in which (the Savior) was buried. Co-throne (σύντρονον) is the image of the throne of the Lord, on which the Lord sat, having conquered the world and ascended with the flesh; It is called a co-throne, and not a throne, because the Son sits with the Father. The other seats of the co-throne signify the honor that the righteous have to receive after the resurrection, according to the words of Scripture: “I am rtsekh: you are gods” (Ps. 82:6). The priests sit on the co-throne, as if they were crucified with Christ with passions and lusts, while the deacons stand in the form of Angels. The holy meal marks the holy tomb in which (Christ) was buried, and the holy offering (πρόθεσις - altar) - the place of execution in which he was crucified, which is why the (lamb) is eaten on the altar. Ciborium (κιβώριον) forms Noah's ark; for “κιβ” means the ark, and “ωριον” means its structure. The pillars of the ciborium are arranged in the image of the four animals that the Prophet saw. The altar (θυσιαςήριον) is called (the throne) in accordance with the heavenly and mental altar: with it the earthly priests represent the spiritual and immaterial authorities, and therefore should be like a scorching fire; or - in accordance with the holy place of Christ’s death, where, having rested, Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice to God and the Father. The vault above the altar (μύαξ ὁ ἐπάνω το͂υ βήματος) is an image of the first 2 heaven; and the ceiling above the rest of the church signifies the visible sky, having beneath it burning candlesticks instead of stars. The altar (βῆμα) is built in the likeness of the heavenly altar: just as the Angels of God serve there, so in the holy altar the earthly priests are always appointed to stand and serve the Lord; and therefore the priest must be, like a scorching fire, pure and free from all uncleanness and all vice. The priests are likened to the Archangels: for just as Seraphim took the coal and gave it to Isaiah, so the priests take the bread, that is, the body of the Lord, and teach it to the people. Let no one think that the holy gifts (τὰ ἄγια) are images (ἀντίτυπα) of the body and blood of Christ, but let everyone believe that the bread and wine offered are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. Otherwise: the altar is the seat of the throne (ὑποβαθρος) and indicates the second coming, since the one sitting then on the throne has to judge the living and the dead. Cosmit 3 (κοσμήτης) corresponds to the Old Testament sacred cosm (κοσμίον), representing a cross-decorated image of the crucified Christ; sometimes the cosmite is arranged in the form of a veil. The bars (καγκέλλα) are an image of the fence of the tomb; they are made of brass, so that no one enters carelessly. They also indicate the place of prayer, serving as a sign that the space outside them is accessible to the people, and inside them there is the Holy of Holies, accessible only to the priests. Solea depicts a river of fire separating sinners from the righteous, according to the words of Paul: “Fire will tempt the work of everyone” (1 Cor. 3:13). The pulpit is the stone on which the Angel, having rolled it away, sat near the door of the tomb when he announced the resurrection to the myrrh-bearers. The steps of the pulpit mark Jacob's ladder. The women's department (γυναίκωνῖτις) was designed so that wives would be separated from their husbands, just as the myrrh-bearers did not enter the tomb with Joseph and Nicodemus, but stood outside (the tomb) and wept. The porch (νάρθηξ) is built for the people standing outside (the sanctuary) during incense. The places of the catechumens (κατηχούμενα) remind of Angels who do not descend to earth, but from heaven join the sacred rites performed on earth; or they are done in accordance with the words of Scripture: “lift up the gates” (Ps. 23:7) The beat (σημαντήριον) marks the angelic trumpets, which the Angels will blow on the last day and with their sound will awaken all nations. Indity marks the womb of the Mother of God; orithon - the shroud in which (the Lord) was laid in the tomb. The paten in a small form represents a cloud 4; chalice - that cup about which (Christ) said: “Drink, all of you.” The liar (λαβίς) recalls the words of the prophet Isaiah: “one was sent to me from the Seraphim” (Is. 6:6), and also marks the Virgin, when the most heavenly bread rises. The star, like four animals, covers the heavenly coal; It is also arranged, by the way, so that the particles do not stick to the cover of the paten; as well as a net (ἤθμος) to prevent anything foreign from falling into the holy cup. The lamp and candles are an image of eternal light, and also mean the light with which the righteous shine. Sunday is so called because on this day Christ was resurrected, and his name (κυριακὴ) means healing from the Lord (ἄκος παρὰ κυρίου), since on this day the Lord healed Adam’s illness. We do not kneel on this day as a sign that the sacrament of faith has been restored by the resurrection of Christ. We do not kneel until the week of Pentecost, because it contains seven times the seven days after Holy Pascha: seven times seven is forty-nine, and Sunday is the fiftieth day, which is an image of the future age. We pray, turning to the east, both for other reasons, and especially because we hope to enjoy the heavenly food planted in the east. The bishop is the image of the Lord: for just as the Lord sends Angels, so the bishop sends priests. The bishop dresses in white clothes (στολὴ) in the image of the highest powers, that is, the Lord, just as John (Mark) says about Him: “his robe was like snow” (Mark 9:3). The three-fold omophorion is worn because it serves the Trinity. The round cut of hair on the head of the priest means a crown of thorns, and the double crown formed by the hair depicts the honest head of the Supreme Apostle, which was cut off in mockery by those who did not believe in him and which Christ blessed; for the top of the twelve stones is the Apostle Peter 5. The fiery color of the priest’s clothes corresponds to the words of the Prophet: “angels create their spirits” (Ps. 103:4), and again: “who is this who came from Edom” (Is. 63:1), which means scarlet; and it is also used because Christ wore a scarlet mantle during His suffering. The presbyters carry within themselves the likeness of the Seraphim, covering themselves with their clothes (στολᾶις) like wings, and with the two wings of their mouths singing a song (to God) and receiving a mental coal - Christ, who is lifted up in the sanctuary, held in their hands, as if in pincers (Seraphim). And the deacons, depicting the angelic forces with the light wings of linen orars, like ministering spirits sent to serve, go around (the church). The surplice is so called because the grace of God abides in it 6 and represents the flesh of Christ, being white, like human flesh. It also has slits under the sleeves (μασχαλάς) as a sign of the rib (of Christ) pierced by a spear. The trims (λωρία) on the sleeves signify the bonds of Christ’s hands, in which they took Him to Annas and Caiaphas: for they bound Him not from behind, but from in front. The mantle (ἀνακολαφὴ) of the surplice serves instead of a belt. The priest is girded as a sign that he is girded 7 in the spiritual life and that his mind is focused. Felov is a non-sewn tunic woven from the grace of St. Spirit, and at the same time marks the scarlet chlamys. Enkhirius (Ἐγχείριον - handkerchief) is lention. If the surplice and Phelon are the color of fire, then this is in accordance with the words of Scripture: “Like your garments are scarlet” (Is. 63:2); if they are white, then they indicate the transfiguration (of the Lord) and the fact that the Angel appeared to the women in white clothes, signifying with whiteness the light of the resurrection. The omophorion (isn't it a stole?) corresponds to the Aaronic robe (στολὴ), which was worn by the subordinate bishops, having small sudari on the left side. The cutting of the hair on the head of a deacon means the same as that of a priest, namely, that a crown of thorns was placed on the head of the Savior. His surplice is white, like an Angel’s; and the orarion depicts angelic wings, therefore it descends to the feet and reclines on the left shoulder, pointing to the two Testaments, the front part to the new one, and the back part to the old one. Therefore, if the deacon, during communion, does not connect the Old Testament with the new, then he does not partake. Enchiridia (ἐγχειρίδια - handkerchiefs), which are worn by deacons, are the lords of the flesh of the Apostles. - Having thus considered all this in advance, let us now also talk about the body (σῶμα) sacrificed by the priests. Our Lord Jesus Christ, daily sacrificed for the life and salvation of the world, as he was crucified on the place of execution, is also eaten by the priest in a holy offering; it is devoured by a copy, so that we do not forget the most pure ribs, which during the holy suffering of the cross were pierced by a spear, and immediately flowed out, into incorruption and renewal of the whole world, the blood and water that the priest sacrifices for the people. What we are now talking about is called by many names - namely, it is called a blessing (ἐυλογία), an offering (προσφορὰ), firstfruits, bread: - a blessing, like the destruction of the oath of the primordial; - an offering, as an offering from the entire human composition, as if we were offered to God and the Creator in the Holy of Holies as a sacrifice of praise; - the firstfruits, as the most sacred and highest offering of all that was ever offered to God. It is called bread because it means that heavenly bread that is our food during communion. The great Vasily commemorated the prosphora with a cross. The prosphora will be proskomized (προσκομίζεται - brought) for the communion of the people, when everyone is given a portion (μερίς); if there are a lot of people, then you need to split the parts (μερίδας). Having kneaded the bread and placed it on the paten, as if on a cloud, we say in this way: like a sheep being led to the slaughter. – The sentence in its meaning is equivalent to the (Old Testament) Holy of Holies and even much more important than it; it also means either the Bethlehem cave, or the paved upper room, in which the Lord, having supper with the disciples, said: “Do this in remembrance of me,” and it is said: “forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” What was the rank of Melchizedek and what was brought to them? The bread and wine with which he met Abraham. So, if Melchizedek is from another tribe and, according to your understanding and faith, is the image of Christ; then, obviously, the Levitical priesthood has been abolished, and with its abolition, the old law and ministry must necessarily change. And about our service it is said: “Behold, incense is offered to me throughout all the earth” (Mal. 1:11). - Just as the all-essential God, having received flesh from the Virgin, in one hypostasis appeared as a perfect God and a perfect man, similar to us in everything except sin: so the new body, as if from a certain womb, and from the blood, and from the flesh of a virgin body, that is, from whole bread is cut by a deacon, or priest, with the help of a certain weapon, which, as we said, is called a kosh, and, thus Thus, having been removed from his environment, he is self-hypostatically (ἱδιουποςατικῶς) sanctified. So, the showbread, after it was taken away, means that (the Lord) raised up the mixture of all human nature and was offered, as the firstfruits and the chosen burnt offering, to God and the Father. Meanwhile, the deacon or priest, having prepared the blood of the Lord along with the body and which is about to be completed at the appropriate time of suffering, through the influx of the life-giving Spirit, leaves them in the offering after the priest says a prayer. The one who cuts off the body from the blessed bread forms the Angel who said to the Virgin: Rejoice. In this way, the divine body is left in the sentence, as if in Bethlehem, where Christ was born, and at the same time, as if in Nazareth, or in Capernaum. In a word: - the sentence combines the thirty years of the Savior’s life that elapsed before baptism. The bishop gives some time to the first priest who has to begin the divine occult work. This time means the time of the birth of John the Baptist and the coming to us of Christ announced by the Prophet Isaiah 8; for Isaiah, together with the other God-speaking Prophets, very clearly foretold the time of birth of both. About John he said this: “Behold, I send my angel before you, who will prepare your way before you” (Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:10; Mark 1:2), and everything else that he announced about him. And about Christ: “Behold, the Virgin will receive with child,” and everything that he predicted about suffering, and about burial, and about resurrection. At this time, the sacrament, hidden from the foundation of the world, was finally revealed: the priest, beginning the divine liturgy, presents the image of the Forerunner and Baptist John, who before (Christ) began preaching and said: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is drawing near.” Thus, the deacon, like an Angel, says: “bless, master,” turning to the celebrant, that is, to God, with a prayer for the divine mystery; the priest, having been called to intercede for the influx of the Holy Trinity into the sacrament, says: “Blessed is the kingdom”; and the people, as if gripped by sacred horror, like the Apostles during the Transfiguration (of the Lord), answer with joy and fear: Amen, that is, truly. At the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, after the first petition, prophecies are proclaimed partly because what is now revealed was already foretold in advance, and partly because the Lawgiver of the previous Old Testament was the same, Born in the last days. And you need to know that at the beginning of every morning and evening service, first the psalms of the Old Testament are sung, and then the songs of new grace, so that everyone can know that the One who laid down the law for both is one and the same God and the Lord Christ. So, as we said, after the first petition, antiphons are sung, first preaching that it is good to confess to the Lord, who was born for the salvation of the entire human race, and then publicly proclaiming that the Lord reigns, that is, now the eternal king Lord reigns supreme, clothed in our humble flesh, which (the Prophet) called power, just as he called Him a servant, for the reason the seeming reproach of the godfather to many. For just like some king, who always has power and strength, but does not use them to take revenge on his enemies, when, finally, wanting to avenge his subjects, he rises up and defeats the enemies with some small weapon and casts them into the depths of destruction, at this time (especially) he hears from all those freed from oppression: “and now our lord has reigned, now he is clothed with power,” in which intention is called kingdom and power. his and his determination for vengeance: so the Prophet, foreseeing the appearance in the flesh of God the Word, the time of vengeance for the human race, the destruction of the enemy with his demons, and then the killing of death and the deliverance of those possessed by it, and as if present in the cave at the birth of the Lord, exclaimed: “now he reigned and now he was clothed in flesh,” not in the sense that He did not have this power, but in the fact that although it was always with Him, it was observed hidden until the predetermined time of revelation. The grace of the Spirit, which confirms (us in the truth) in every possible way, usually preaches about the future, as if it were already present or past. At the end of the first antiphon the words are added: through the prayers of the Mother of God, save us; For what? To fully confirm what was said before with a reminder of the Ever-Virgin. The chorus of the second antiphon consists of the words: through the prayers of your saints: Since we perform divine mysteries for the salvation of souls and the remission of sins, it is very fitting to first resort to the intercession of the Mother of God, the highest of all saints and even the most heavenly powers, and then to call upon those who have pleased her Son. The song - the only begotten Son - was sung by the Emperor Justinian; it suggests that the Son of God immutably became man for the salvation of the human race. The priest comes out (from the altar), carrying the Gospel, in the image of Christ carrying the cross; if the deacon carries it, then he represents Simon, on whom the cross was laid. The lamps offered at the time of entry signify divine light; and the very entrance of the bishop is the appearance of Christ and our God on the Jordan. For until this time, although the bishop was (in the church), he was not yet obvious and visible to everyone (as a clergyman), he was not an active person and did not perform supernatural and wondrous deeds; and at this time the priest, like the Forerunners who performed the baptism of repentance, seeing the bishop entering, leaves his place, as if applying to himself the words of John: “for this it is fitting to grow, but for me to grow small” (John 3:30), and immediately allows the bishop to perform the highest mysteries. The deacon carries the holy Gospel and presents it to the leaders of the faithful people, as the divine law of the King, and the priest goes behind and in his clothes represents all the circumstances of the crucifixion, as an object of praise in humility of heart. Then the singers ascend to the pulpit and sing: come, let us rejoice in the Lord; Those standing below also sing along with them, thereby forming an agreement between Angels and men. The Apostles also agree with this; for some said: come, we have found our beloved, and others: come and see. They came, it is said (in Scripture), and remained with Him that day; in a word, this includes everything that is in Scripture about the baptism (of the Savior). The words: let us precede his face in confession have the following meaning: since the one who has appeared now is the eternal God and creator of heaven, and earth, and sea; and now he has become a man like us, having the properties of human nature, except for sin, and again in the last times he will come to judge the living and the dead in the same form and in the same hypostasis, although not in the same body, however, and not without a body: then come, let us worship Him with faith, as God, asking forgiveness for what we have sinned; let us anticipate and meet His face here in confession and contrition of heart, in order to find Him merciful there when He judges. At the end of the antiphons, the trisagion is immediately sung, proclaiming the divine hypostasis of the Son, as well as the Father himself and the life-giving Spirit. Distinguishing the properties of persons (the Holy Trinity), they refer the words: holy God to the Father; the mighty saint - to the property of the hypostasis of the Son and the Word; and the immortal saint is turned to the hypostasis of the consubstantial and life-giving Spirit. However, all this befits each hypostasis separately; for each of them is holy, and strong, and immortal, because all three have one nature and being, and all have a common name - Divinity. The words of this thrice-holy song were briefly proclaimed by David: “my soul thirsted,” he says, “for the mighty, living God” (Ps. 41:3); and in another place: “by the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the spirit of his mouth all their power” (Ps. 33:6); and again: “in your light we will see light” (Ps. 35:10). And on the other hand, how does it differ from the trisagion we sing, the seraphic hymn spoken to Isaiah, combining three times the saints in one name of the Lord? After the Trisagion, the bishop ascends to the co-throne, supported by the deacons, like angels, and the priests ascend with him, just as the Apostles ascended with Jesus to the Mount of Transfiguration. This results in the ascension from earth to heaven and the abolition of the earth-bound Jewish decrees; since it was from this time, after (the Lord) by His example (sanctified) baptism, that grace began to take hold. Sitting on the co-throne signifies that the Son of God lifted up that flesh that he bore, and that sheep that he took on his shoulder (which is signified by the omophorion), that is, Adam’s nature (φύραμα), above all beginning, and power, and dominion, and brought it to God and the Father. And how one (the Son of God) deified, and the other, that is, the assumed human nature was deified: then, for the sake of the dignity of the one who offered and the purity of what was offered, God and the Father accepted Him (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice and a favorable offering for the human race. Or (the bishop and priests) sit on the co-throne in accordance with the words of the Prophet David: “as there sat the thrones for judgment” (Ps. 122:5). And when they stand on the co-throne, the bishop, depicting the divine transfiguration before the people, stretching out his hand, makes the sign of the cross three times over the priests, as Christ blessed his disciples 9 . After the execution of the Trisagion, the priest blesses the people, saying: peace to all, that is, be at peace with each other, before the divine meal. Making the sign of the cross, which the bishop usually performs at the end of the Trisagion, on the one hand means the fulfillment and, as it were, sealing of the prophetic words proclaimed about Christ (for His appearance in the flesh was a seal confirming that everything they proclaimed was true); and on the other hand, that the sign of the cross marked the beginning of divine deeds and the renewal of the human race. The sign of the cross also had significance in relation to the world (which the Lord gave to the world): it destroyed the powers that separated people at that time and subjugated near and distant peoples; and the father of the world, Christ, united into one - the heavenly and the earthly. After (the bishop and priests) sit down, the so-called prokeimenon (προκείμενον) is read, in connection with the readings from the Old and New Testaments, which is rightly called so because it is presented (προκε͂ιται) to those images of New Testament grace; it points to the prophetic revelation and foretelling of the coming of Christ God. Following this, Paul appears as a kind of leader and offers the people his teaching, or more precisely, he offers the reading of the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles, which contain the fulfillment of the promises of Christ our God, from which His power and the infallibility of truth are known. He (Jesus Christ) said to them (the Apostles): “Come after me, and I will make you a fisher of men” (Matthew 4:19). Look how they, fishermen and unlearned, caught the whole world from the depths of error. Then, after reading the Apostle, David sings: hallelujah (ἀλληλουϊα); αλ means appeared, ηλ - God, ουϊα - praise the living God. At the last hallelujah, the bishop’s omophorion is removed as a sign that the Old Testament law has ceased and that the bishop is celebrating new grace. The burning of incense while singing hallelujah signifies the grace of the Holy Spirit given to the disciples when the Lord sent them to heal “every sickness and every disease” in Israel (Matthew 10:1). After the hallelujah, the priest or deacon, taking the most pure Gospel, like a sent Angel, ascends with this divine law to the pulpit, and thus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: “Ask up on a high mountain, preaching the gospel” (Is. 40:9). The open arms of the people mean their gratitude for receiving such miracles. The priest tremblingly reveals the law (the Gospel) and proclaims it to the people, while everyone stands in silence, like Moses, Elijah and all the Prophets, when God spoke with them, and like the Apostles, when (Jesus Christ) said to them: “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). After reading the Gospel, the reader, bending it, comes down and gives it to everyone to kiss, like children. The Gospel points to the coming of Christ the Son of God, when he was seen by us not in fortune telling, but clearly. It proclaims the words of Christ himself, the commandments and laws given by Him, His suffering, burial, resurrection and ascension itself. As for miracles, the Apostles did not say much about them, announcing in one word about their countless multitude. The four Gospels correspond to the four-shaped animals on which the God of all will sit, sitting, as they say about Him, on the Cherubim; The four faces of these animals are: the first is like a lion, the second is like a calf, the third is like a man, the fourth is like an eagle. The first person - lion means His (Jesus Christ) power and authority (Is.9:6); the second indicates His sacred ministry; the third represents his coming and appearance in the flesh, and the fourth, like a flying eagle, signifies the descending power of the Holy Spirit. Thus the Gospel of John tells of His sublime, actual, and glorious birth from the Father; for it writes: “in the beginning was the word.” The Gospel of Luke presents a picture of His priestly ministry; for he begins with the priest Zechariah, who performed the incense. Matthew tells about His birth according to the flesh: “the book of kinship,” he says, “Jesus Christ.” This Gospel is, as it were, humanoid. And Mark began with the prophetic Spirit descending on people from above, saying: “The Gospel was conceived, as it was written in the prophets,” and thereby pointed to the winged image of the Gospel. The making of the sign of the cross, which the bishop teaches to the people after reading the Gospel, indicates the second coming of Christ. The prayers and petitions that follow the reading of the Divine Gospel up to the Cherubic song point to the three-year teaching of Christ and our God and to the preparatory announcement before holy baptism; at this time, the catechumens come out as uninitiated and not yet worthy of divine baptism and the sacraments of Christ. And the very prayers that do not happen at this time are offered for the catechumens, the faithful, and for the bishop himself. For the God-inspired Fathers, thinking about what should be the soul and hand of the one who will touch the most pure body of Christ our God, and how many times it should be purer than the rays of the sun, put up prayers to God for mercy towards these persons for the sake of philanthropy. The deacons unfurl the orithon, like Joseph and Nicodemus when they intended to bury the Lord himself. It is said three times: Go forth with a catechumen, so that every word may become in the mouth of two or three witnesses. By bowing during prayer, the priest thereby expresses his submission (to the Lord). Then the deacon exclaims: wisdom, that is, God, and the priest cries out to God: yes under your power. Then the singers, like a swarm of Angels, call the people to the Cherubic song; and the Cherubic song encourages everyone, from now until the end of the sacred rite, to have intense attention, putting aside all worldly cares, since we have to receive the great King through the communion of His holy body. The fact that the singers sing this song together with the people means that the Angels sing together in heaven. The container (σκευοφδυλακίον), in which the proskomedia occurs, means the place of execution, as it was depicted by Abraham when he laid the wood and laid his son and slaughtered the ram. The priest 10, standing alone in the church, while singing the Cherubic song, represents the image of the Father, who meets the walking Son. The Ripides appear in the form of Cherubim and Seraphim, and scepters and candles appear as royal signs. The archdeacon, carrying the omophorion, passes like an Angel, carrying the old grace that precedes the new grace. The deacons pass by like clouds, with the body, as if with the Divine, resting on the high throne of the Cherubim. The holy gifts pass from the offering to the altar (throne) in the image of the earthly life of Christ until His burial and as a sign that God himself led the Magi to see His saving coming to us in the flesh; and it also means the procession of the Lord from Bethany to Jerusalem... Diakonik. The meaning assimilated by the so-called “κόγχη” of St. The Father is still accustomed to the altar. St. New Sirin. Ch. 6, § 3. Ed. 1855 St. Petersburg. Those. the most high, called heaven heaven in Scripture (Ps. 67:34, 113:24 etc.). Under this name we mean, according to Simeon of Thessaloniki (chapter 136), the upper decoration of the iconostasis, which consisted of images of the Savior, and on its sides the Mother of God, the Forerunner, Angels and other saints. It corresponds to the decorations on the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies in the Old Testament church (Ezek.10:1; Exod.26:1, 31). Likely. St. The Father meant the cloud that lifted up the Savior when he ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). This last addition suggests that nothing was added here to the work of St. Father after and without any need. As for cutting the hair on the head, in ancient times this custom actually existed. See Simeon. Sol. περί τῶν ίερ. χειροτ. Ch. 158; ἐρμην. περὶ τὸυ ναοῦ, 45. Only in the east both the very image of shearing and its meaning were not the same as in the west. Now this custom has ceased there. Πηδάλ, 134–135. The Holy Father produces the word “στιχάριον” from the word “χάρις” combined with the verb “ἐστὶ”. That is, he is firm and unshakable, like a girded man. The inconsistency of speech in this place suggests the addition of an outside hand here too. This meaning can be acquired by the overshadowing of the concelebrants with dikiriy, which the bishop performs when he ascends to a mountainous place. Here, obviously, is the bishop, when, accepting gifts, he stands at the royal doors, turning to the people.