Interpretation of the divine church

Treatise of St. Simeon of Thessalonica “Interpretation of the Divine Church” is dedicated 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 1857. About the Church of God and about the priests, deacons and bishops serving in it, about the sacred clothes in which each of them dresses, as well as about divine secret actions; an explanation of the meaning of each of the sacred rites performed in the Church, sent to the inquiring pious Christians of Crete. Moved by Divine love to explore what the rites of the sacred rites performed during the Divine Services mean, and what significance the sacred vestments have, accept with love our feasible answers about this that we give, also encouraged by the love of the Spirit, remembering especially the greatest of the works of Self-existent Love - God, who, as it is written, so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son for us (John 3:16 ). This Only Begotten Son of God came with love and, being everywhere, dwelt in us, was born as a Child of the Virgin, passed through all ages, so that I could be completely purified and accept sanctification through His works and teaching. Finally, He gave Himself to me in communion. After uniting with me in the firstfruits of nature, which He received from the Virgin, it was necessary for the union to become effective and spread to all believers, because this is the secret of my re-creation and revival. If you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, He says, and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you (John 6:53) and: I live... and whoever eats Me will live by Me (John 6:57). And this, in His goodness, He accomplished through the sacraments. What does sacred Baptism produce? Thus, it is in Baptism that He regenerates us, giving us His dispassionate birth, and through the laying on of hands and the breath imparts the grace of peace. And this ointment is He Himself, according to the word of Scripture: Your name is like ointment poured out (Song. 1:2), He who anointed Himself as God and anointed as man. Therefore, by anointing us also according to His goodness, He imparts to us the fragrant and living power of the Spirit. He gives us the third and greatest of all His gifts, making us partakers of Himself, which he clearly expressed during the establishment of the sacraments 2 - because, taking the bread and sacramentally performing over it, as well as the cup, he said about the first: This is My Body (Matthew 26:26), and about the other: This is My Blood (Matthew 26:28). And he not only officiated, but also called for communion: “Take, eat,” he said. – Drink from it, all of you (Matthew 26:26–27). And then He not only performed this sacred act Himself, but commanded through His servants to always perform it: “Do this,” He said, “in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19). And truly, how wise this is! He Himself fully joined us in flesh and blood and, remaining invariably God, appeared as a man similar to us; He did this in order to make us partakers of His Divinity. It is for this purpose that He, the Omnipresent, in the most Divine and ineffable way, united Himself with what we feed and drink, and, the Almighty, with His Divine power transforms the bread and cup into Body and Blood. Through them He dissolves and unites with us and, like the Sun of Truth, shines on us, giving us illumination according to the extent of our purity. However, He acts not only like the sun, spreading only His rays, but also cleanses the unclean and makes it capable of receiving light. So, since this is the sacrament of the liturgy and since it constitutes the ultimate goal of the incarnation of God (through it we become partakers of God and accept, by grace, deification), then the Church of Christ takes the greatest and Divine care about it. She continually performs what she received from the beginning, and through sacred rites that have an inner meaning, she teaches that which exceeds understanding. The most visible actions performed during the liturgy have acquired such great glory that they are a subject of surprise to everyone. However, not everyone can comprehend with their minds the meaning of what is being performed, so many remain perplexed and seek an explanation for the rituals. In any case, what happens in the Church exceeds all understanding, and not only the human mind, but even the angelic one would not be strong enough to teach how the Incarnation was accomplished, how communion with God is accomplished, or what the Church preaches and puts into action in this regard. However, God did not allow us to remain completely ignorant of His actions, but gave us the opportunity to learn as much as possible, and as we search, find and acquire knowledge about His actions, since all this is done for our sake. So, as much as we could learn and as much as was given to us, the worst and humble ones, we, having collected information mostly from the fathers, answer you with love to what you asked us about, considering us to be something. We have nothing new in comparison with what was handed down to us, and we have not changed what we accepted, but we have kept it, as well as the Creed, which is why we perform the Liturgy as taught by the Savior Himself, the Apostles, and the Fathers. Just as the Lord once performed the sacrament with His disciples, breaking the bread and giving them, as well as the cup, so now the Church acts when the bishop performs the sacrament and communes with the priests, or the priest with others. The apostolic successor also testifies to this - I’m talking about the sacred Dionysius 3, who teaches us to perform the priesthood the way we perform the priesthood. And the God-speaking Vasily and Chrysostom, who set out in detail the rite of the sacrament, commanded to perform it as our Church does, as evidenced by their prayers during the sacred rite, pointing to the first and second Entrance, as well as to other parts of the service of the sacred sacrament. And the fathers betrayed about the sacred church, that it is not accessible to everyone, but worthy of reverence, especially the terrible altar. It is known that they expelled the catechumens, and Saint Ambrose 4 expelled King Theodosius from the church and from the altar. Saint Gregory the Dvoeslov testifies not only that the sacrifice is made in the guise of leavened bread, but also honors holy churches with special reverence, not allowing even the remains of their founders to be buried in them. And the great Isidore Pelusiot, one of the ancient fathers, in many of his epistles provides very clear information about the order of the liturgy that we have. And the godly Maxim 5 fully sets out the sacred rites of the liturgy, as it is performed by our Church, and explains the meaning of what is performed during it. Having received the help of these fathers, and having received information about some from our predecessors, we write to you, placing our trust in the grace of God. First let's talk about the Divine House. But since the instrument of sacred rites is the church and the priest - one as the celebrant, and the other as the place of the altar, then it should be said about both. What is the Divine Church? Although the church is created from matter, it has in itself the highest grace, because it is consecrated with mysterious prayers from the bishop, anointed with Divine myrrh, after which the whole becomes the dwelling of God; and not all parts of it are accessible to everyone, but some are only for priests, and others are also for laity. Why is the church made up of two parts? Being two-part, the church symbolizes with its closed and open parts Christ Himself, who has two natures, God and together Man - invisible, like God, and visible, like man. In a similar way, the church depicts a person consisting of soul and body. In particular, he points to the mystery of the Trinity, inaccessible in essence, cognizable in Providence and actions. The church also depicts the world, the visible world and the invisible at the same time, or only one visible: the sky as a holy altar, and the earth as a Divine church. From another point of view, the entire Divine Church appears to be threefold (I’m talking about the part located in front of the church 6, the church and the altar), which symbolizes both the Trinity and the ranks of the heavenly powers, divided into three degrees, as well as the hosts of the pious, divided into three ranks: the sanctified, the faithful, the perfect and the penitent. Finally, this location of the church leads us to think about the earthly, the heavenly and the above-heaven, namely: the vestibule of the church is earthly, the church is heaven, and the most holy altar is above-heaven. What does the sacred meal symbolize? Therefore, with its altar, the Divine Church, through the terrible altar, that is, the sacred meal, points to the Lord of heaven. Therefore, the throne is called the holy of holies, the seat, the place and resting place of God, the purgatory, the place of the great sacrifice, the tomb of Christ and the village of His glory. What does the veil symbolize? The curtain at the throne symbolizes the heavenly tabernacle at the throne of God, where the hosts of Angels reside and the saints rest. What is the significance of the pillars? The pillars or lattices 7 indicate the difference between the sensory and the mental. What do the names of the four evangelists on the corners mean and what is srachitsa? The sacred meal has four cloths at the four corners, 8 because from the four ends of the world the fullness of the Church was woven. And on the four boards are the names of the four evangelists, because they founded the Church and the Gospel spread throughout the world. What does srachitsa mean and what does indium mean? The first robe of the throne is the so-called srachitsa, and behind it the other is indium. Since the meal is the tomb and throne of Jesus, the first garment is like a shroud with which He was entwined in the tomb, and the second is like a robe of glory, which is also shown by the psalm pronounced when laying it on: The Lord reigned, clothed in beauty (Ps. 93:1). Why is the throne made of stone? The throne is made of stone 9 because it depicts Christ, Who is the stone, our foundation and the head of the corner and the cornerstone, and also because this throne was represented in ancient times by the stone that gave water to ancient Israel. Now he will water us again, exuding to us not water, but streams of eternal life - the life-giving blood of the Word. The Sacred Altar 10 recalls the Incarnate Word seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father. What do the altar steps mean? The steps mean the rank and ascent of each of the sanctified people and Angels. Whom does the bishop represent when entering the altar? The bishop depicts Jesus. What do the Gospel and the cross lying on the throne mean? He is also depicted by the Holy Gospel, visible on the throne, and by the cross, pointing to His sacrifice. Why are the holy relics of the martyrs placed under the throne? 11 The sacred remains of the martyrs are placed under the throne, because their souls are constantly present with Christ, the great Witness of the 12 Father. On the other hand, the altar has, as it were, its foundation in them, since the Church was founded first of all on the Blood of Christ, and then, through it, on the blood of the martyrs. Why is the Holy Altar anointed with Holy Chrism? The throne is anointed with holy myrrh, firstly, because it is filled with the action of the Spirit, and secondly, because the Living Myrrh is sacredly performed on it. Why does the throne have robes covering it? It is covered and decorated with veils, because what is on it is also invisible and not accessible to everyone. It is made exalted and adorned because it is the Throne of God. Who do the altar servers represent? Therefore, the ranks that have the right to enter the altar symbolize premium forces. What does incense symbolize? And the incense, starting from the altar, depicts the fragrant grace of the Spirit spreading everywhere. Through the lighted lamps there is the unceasing illumination from the Spirit inherent in saints. So this is what is symbolized in the church by the altar. What does the church represent outside the altar? The rest of the church depicts either, as we said before, this earthly world, or the visible sky, because when we pray in front of the church, then for us it is heaven, as we said, and the Edenic paradise. What is the significance of the curtains on the porches? That is why in sacred monasteries they protect churches with certain curtains during singing performed outside the church, and at the entrance to the church they pull them back, expressing that Christ condescended for us and, having destroyed the mediastinum of the barrier and gave peace, took us to heaven (therefore, those who have fallen into sins do not dare to enter inside the church), and, performing the rite of renewal 13, we observe this. When inside the church we perform prayers and sacred rites, which are terrible for everyone, 14 then the altar becomes for us like another heaven, and the church becomes like earth, because everyone gathers and stands in it and together sends up prayers to God. The pulpit in front of the altar means the stone rolled away from the tomb of the Savior. Here deacons and priests, having the image of an angel, proclaim the Divine Gospel: deacons at Liturgy, and priests at Matins, reading the morning Gospels. What do the church decorations mean? The splendor of the church recalls the perfection of creation, and the lit lamps represent the likeness of stars, while the vault represents the firmament. What is the significance of the things brought to the church? We offer oil, wax and incense: the first as an image of Divine mercy, 15 the second, as collected from countless flowers, as a sign of the complete offering of ourselves and the sacrifice of everything, and the last as an image of Divine love communicated to all, and the fragrance of the Spirit. Who do the priests represent? And the priests, starting Divine chants inside the sacred altar, depict the first rites that stand before God. The deacons with readers and singers, continuing in order the Divine Psalms and readings of the Holy Scriptures, represent the middle choir of the heavenly powers. And the entire people, who rightly hold faith, unite with the singers by the disposition of their souls, calling on the mercy of God. He depicts the last rank. Neither a criminal nor a person of other faiths should stand with him, since there is no communion between light and darkness. If anyone turns to the light, he must be accepted among the sons of light. This is what the Divine Church depicts, although those who have received the power of contemplation from God can see even more here. Namely: the priest in the Divine Scripture is primarily called the Angel of the Lord Almighty - both as a preacher of Divine things, and as a fulfiller of the commands of God. He also depicts Jesus, because at his ordination he received His power. Who does the bishop represent? But above him is the bishop, who, according to Scripture, sits on the seat of Christ, and in abundance has His power to bind and decide by the power of God’s grace. For the bishop has apostolic succession, therefore, as one depicting Christ, intending to perform sacred rituals, he puts on sacred vestments, each of which has a spiritual significance and spiritual meaning. We will also tell you about them as much as we know. But let's look a little higher first. Degrees of those ordained: to the altar Of those ordained at the altar and divided into three ranks - bishop, presbyter and deacon - the first, that is, the rank of bishop, is called enlightening and the imparter of Divine light, because through it everyone receives - both priests and clergy - ordinations and dedications, church consecration, the laity - baptism, absolution from sins, consecration and communion of the Holy Mysteries. All this comes from episcopal grace, as from a source of light. What is the perfect rite? The rank of presbyter is called perfect, since it has only perfect grace for sacred rites, and not communicative, because he baptizes and performs sacred rites, but cannot ordain or appoint another priest or anyone belonging to the sacred rank. And the rank of deacon is called ministerial, since its purpose is to serve, and it cannot do anything without a priest, which is characteristic of the last angelic rank. Each of the clergy, belonging to one of these three ranks, also dresses in clothes consistent with the rank. Thus, the deacon puts on clothes depicting the angelic order; the presbyter also dresses in them, since, before becoming a priest, he received the gift of a deacon 16, and in those characteristic of perfect grace, which the stole indicates; the bishop also puts on an omophorion, which symbolizes the incarnate Son of God. Therefore, when putting on their sacred vestments, the deacon, the priest, and the bishop first of all put on the surplice. What does a surplice represent? The surplice depicts the light clothes of the Angels, since Angels often appeared dressed in light clothes 17: thus, the Angel who appeared at the tomb of the Savior was dressed in white robes. The surplice also signifies the purity and impeccability of the lives of those who wear it (for this purity the priest is awarded the grace of the priesthood); it also means Divine illumination, which the deacon gives to the faithful through the Gospel and other readings. He testifies to this, saying while putting on the surplice: “My soul will rejoice in the Lord, for he has clothed me with the robe of salvation,” and so on. That the deacon has a surplice and an orarion And the deacon, having, as it is said, the angelic rank, is clothed with it, and wears the so-called orarion on his shoulders. Orarion symbolizes wings, indicating the immateriality and spiritual nature of the angelic order. Why does the deacon gird himself with an orarion during communion? In imitation of the Cherubim, who cover their faces, the deacon also girds himself, as if covering himself with it, when he begins communion. The inscription on the orar symbolizes the same: “Holy, holy, holy,” indicating the official rank of the holy Angels 18. What do the “sources” of the bishop’s surplice mean? The bishop's surplice has on it the so-called “sources” descending from above, 19 meaning the grace of teaching that resides in the bishop, and at the same time symbolizing the variety of the highest gifts that belong to him, poured out on everyone through him. And among the Angels, not everyone belongs to the same rank, but even there there are teachers and distributors of enlightenment for the lower ones. The name of the sources is based on the words of the Savior in the Gospel: Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). What are the “sources” and “tablets” on the mantle? The same is expressed by the bishop’s mantle, on which “sources” are also sewn, having the same meaning as on the surplice, and “tablets” 20 - in the image of ancient and new grace. They are placed on top of the "sources" and this means that the teacher must draw and offer teaching from the two Testaments. This is what the surplice means. What does the epitrachelion represent? The epitrachelion depicts the perfect and descending grace of the Spirit. That is why the bishop and priest, placing it on the neck, say: “Blessed be God, they poured out His grace on the priests.” That is why every bishop and priest wears it during any sacred service. In addition, the epitrachelion shows that the priest is subordinate to Christ, must perform services, looking at Him as the Beginning of the Finisher, inspires to humbly bow to the yoke of Christ, do His works with Him and do nothing without Him, because without Him it is impossible to do anything, since everything began to be through Him (John 1:3) and continues to be to this day. And belt 21 depicts the service of the Savior for us, which He performed here and promised to do for us in the future: He will gird himself, it is said, and make them sit down, and approaching and serving them (Luke 12:37). He also depicts the strength and dominion of His power, as well as chastity. In addition, the belt lying on the loins means the sanctification of the body along with the soul, as evidenced by the words spoken during the girdle: “Blessed be God, gird me with strength, and make my way blameless.” What is the so-called epigonation? The hierarch also places the so-called epigonation 22, attaching it to his belt. It symbolizes victory over death, and the incorruptibility of our nature, and the great power of God over the power of the evil one, revealed through the sinless birth of the Lord from the Virgin, His sinless life and crucifixion, the victory over the one who gave birth to sin and the resurrection, with which He raised Adam who had fallen through sin. Therefore, it has the shape of a sword and is worn at the hip as a sign that a person has strength and chastity. This is also evidenced by the words spoken when laying it on, for it is said: Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one (Ps. 44:4). The words show the same thing: The Lord clothed himself with strength and girded himself (Ps. 93:1). And the so-called warrants depict both the all-creating power of God and the fact that Jesus, with His own hands, performed the sacred act of His own Body and Blood. Therefore, when laying them, words are pronounced specifically for each arm - for the right: Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorified in strength (Ex. 15:6) and for the left: Thy hands have created me and created me (Ps. 119:73). Some say that the bonds also signify the bonds in which, after the betrayal, the Savior was led to Pilate. The sacred phelonion reveals the highest power and illumination of the Spirit, given from above, since the lordship of the heavenly ranks prevails among those who are higher; it also means the all-encompassing, providential, all-creating and beneficent power of God, for the sake of which the Word descended to us and, having become incarnate, endured crucifixion and resurrected, united the high and the low with Himself and in Himself. Therefore, it perfectly depicts the scarlet robe in which the Savior was dressed for reproach, and has the appearance of a scarlet robe: it does not have so-called sleeves, making up a garment that embraces on all sides. But this is most clearly depicted by the so-called sakkos worn by the highest bishops. Other bishops wear a phelonion with many crosses, which is why it is called polystavri (multiple crosses) 23, and this clearly shows that it depicts the suffering of the Savior and represents the One who, through the suffering of the cross, accomplished the true truth, granted us deliverance from the power of the tormentor and saved everyone. Therefore, when putting on the phelonion it is said: Your priests will be clothed with righteousness and your saints will rejoice with joy (Ps. 131:9), for truly justification through the cross has given us joy. Such are the robes worn by the deacon and the priest, with the exception of the epigonatius, and such is the meaning of them, as far as we have been able to learn. What does omophorion mean and why is it made of waves? The bishop, together with the epigonation and other clothes that he wears, since together with the special episcopal power he also has the grace of all other ranks, also dresses in a sacred omophorion made of wave 24, which fits around his shoulders in front and behind. The omophorion clearly depicts the incarnation and incarnation of the Word from the Virgin that was for our sake, which is why it is made of a wave, since it depicts the lost sheep, which the Savior took on His shoulder, that is, our nature, and since Christ, having descended to us, became incarnate and Himself on earth was the Lamb slain for us. This idea is confirmed by the words spoken when placing it on the shoulders, since at the same time the bishop says: “Thou tookst the frame, Christ, the lost nature, ascended, and brought thou to God and the Father.” This is what the sacred robes symbolize. Why do some bishops and priests perform sacred services with their heads uncovered? Some bishops and priests perform sacred rites with their heads uncovered, 25 not out of any humiliation, but according to the most sublime and most sacred word, which the God-speaking Paul offers for our instruction, calling Christ the head, and us His members: honoring Christ as the Head, we must have our heads uncovered during prayer. But not only for this reason, but also because just as the one being ordained once accepted ordination, that is, with his head naked, it is also appropriate for him to pray and perform the sacred act in the same form. This is especially true for a bishop who, during his ordination, has on his head the words given to God, that is, the sacred Gospel 26 - therefore, he should not have another covering on his head while the Most Divine Mysteries are being celebrated. However, someone may object: “Are the Patriarch of Alexandria, who has a sacred covering on his head, and very many others, doing this according to ancient tradition, doing something wrong?” I do not say this, for there this custom is an ancient tradition, I am only talking about what seems to me more decent (after all, the Old Law bishop wore a mitre on his head, which was called a miter, as these bishops now call it; and perhaps they also contain this custom in memory of the crown of thorns of the Lord, or the sovereign who was on His head). Although it seems to me that if they also remove this headdress at the most important times of the sacred rite, then they thereby testify that it would be better to observe the tradition of Blessed Paul, especially since the hair on the head of the initiates is cut in the image of a crown of thorns, 27 and the sir is depicted as an orithon, which is curled, from which it received its name. What does the descent of the bishop from his seat mean? 28 The bishop descending from his seat for the sacred rite shows the condescension of God the Word to us. What does it mean to dress him in bishop’s robes? Dressed in sacred clothes, he depicts His all-holy incarnation. What does his procession to the western gate of the church mean? The departure of the bishop to the gates of the church symbolizes the coming of Christ, His appearance on earth and descent even to death and hell - this is what the procession to the west to the gates of the church means. When the sacred liturgy begins, after the bishop gives a blessing (for without it nothing can be done), the priests secretly read prayers, forming heavenly ranks. Why are both psalms and songs of grace sung together? And the singers sing antiphons, depicting the face of the prophets, and divide them into three parts, in honor of the Trinity. At the same time, they recite verses from the psalms in advance, combining with them songs of grace 29 . With verses from the psalms they proclaim the incarnation of God the Word, foretold by the ancients, and in the New Testament songs they represent the very grace that has already been accomplished and preach about the Son of God, who became incarnate and accomplished everything for us. That first we call on the Mother of God Therefore, first of all, giving honor to the virgin who gave birth to Him, they pray to Her to intercede for us (since through Her first, and only through Her, we are saved), saying: “Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Savior, save us.” And then they call upon the saints: Then they remember the saints who, having labored for the sacrament of the Incarnation, sacredly sacrificed themselves, and appeal to their prayers. That for the third and last time we call on our Savior Himself And then we sing praises to the Author and Finisher of our salvation – Christ, loudly shouting: “Save us, Son of God.” What does the bishop represent, standing outside the altar and below, and what do those with him represent? Having finished the sacred prayers outside the altar, the bishop stands, and the deacons are present with him, depicting not only the apostles, but also the Angels who served the sacraments of Christ. What does the first exit of the priests from the altar and the Entrance with the bishop at the Gospel mean? 30 And when the priests, after performing prayers inside the altar, come out of it, this depicts the descent of the Angels at the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. Also, when the bishop, bowing his head, together with the priests prays for the Angels to descend and serve him, then by bending and raising his head he reveals to everyone the Resurrection of the Lord; the same is proclaimed by the deacon, who, while exalting the Gospel, also preaches the rise of the Savior and, loudly proclaiming: “Wisdom, forgive,” testifies in words and actions to the Resurrection. Immediately after this, the image of the Ascension is presented: lamps are presented, deacons walk in front in pairs, the Holy Gospel is presented and the bishop himself walks, supported on both sides by deacons, and other priests walk behind. What is “come, let us worship” and what is the greeting of the bishop at the Entrance? When “Come, let us worship Christ” is sung with special solemnity and greetings are proclaimed to the bishop, then, as stated above, this marks the Resurrection and Ascension of the Savior. It is the deacon who proclaims, as it is said, who preaches the Resurrection of the Savior. And the face of the priests and deacons, as we said before, resembles the apostles who were present with Christ and looked at Him, and the most sacred Angels. What does the ascension of the bishop and the entrance to the altar mean? The bishop depicts the Risen Lord Himself, appearing to the disciples and ascending from earth to heaven. That is why we said that the entire outer church represents the image of the earth, and the most sacred altar symbolizes the sky. This is reminiscent of the prophecy of David, according to which, during the Ascension, Angels preceded the Lord and cried out to those above heaven: “Take up the gates” and called Him the King of Glory (see Ps. 23:7) and confessed Him as Lord and Mighty. What does it mean that the Holy Doors are closed and then they are completely opened when the bishop enters? The Church does the same when it greets the bishop, preceded by other clergy, entering the sanctuary. This is also shown by the sacred gates of the altar, closed before the Entrance and then completely opened again during the Entrance. What does censing around the Holy See mean? When, at the Entrance, the bishop burns incense around the holy meal, this depicts the coming of the Spirit, Who descended to us from heaven after the Ascension of Christ into heaven. What does dikiriy 31 mean and why does it signify the Gospel? And signifying the sacred Gospel with dikiriy, the bishop depicts the spread of light on earth and in heaven through the incarnation of Jesus, who has two natures, and the salvation of our soul and our body that occurred through Him, since with its incarnation the Word of God not only illuminated people, but also the Angels themselves; by this he also shows that the Incarnate One is the Son of God Himself. What does the Trisagion Hymn mean? The Trisagion, proclaimed immediately after this, points to the mystery of the Trinity, which was announced to people by the incarnation of the One of the Trinity, since through the incarnate Word we came to know the Father and the Spirit, as well as the agreement and unity of Angels and people. That is why it is sung both by priests inside the altar and by clergy and laity outside it, for through Christ the Church of Angels and men became one. Why does the bishop again mark the Gospel with the trikirium? Preaching about it, the bishop again overshadows the Gospel with trikirium, showing that the Gospel contains the gospel of the Trinity, and praying to establish this gospel, calls it grapes, as a source of true joy, and asks, together with the Godfather, to be worthy of a Divine visitation and confirmation 32. What does it mean for a bishop to ascend to the Divine co-throne and what does it mean for him to be overshadowed from the co-throne by the trikirium? Having ascended to the Divine co-throne, which testifies to the sitting of Christ at the right hand of God the Father, and from there, overshadowing the trikirium, the bishop confirms that sanctification was sent down to us from the Trinity and that Christ, having ascended into heaven, gave us illumination (which is depicted by light) and the blessing of the Trinity. What does it mean to sit on the altar and say “Peace to all”? Having sat on the co-throne in imitation of Christ and having with him those sitting together, in the likeness of the apostles, co-bishops and priests, the bishop says: “Peace to all,” and this means unity, for Christ destroyed enmity with His Flesh and created both one, the heavenly and the earthly, says Paul (see Eph. 2:14-15). Why is the Apostle read first, and then the Gospel? Then there is the reading of the apostolic writings, which means the sending of the apostles into tongues. Why do bishops and priests sit while reading the apostolic writings, but deacons do not? While reading them, priests sit with the bishop, but not deacons, since priests also have apostolic grace. Why is Alleluia sung before the Gospel? Before the Gospel, the song Alleluia is sung, meaning praise to God and the coming of Divine grace, which is depicted by reading the Gospel. What does reading the Gospel look like? The reading itself depicts the preaching of the Gospel throughout the world, carried out by His disciples after the Ascension of the Lord. That is why the Apostle is read first, and then the Gospel, since first the disciples were sent, endued with power, and then, having gone through the whole world, they preached the Gospel. Why is there censing before the Gospel? And before the Gospel there is incense, symbolizing the grace of the Spirit given through the Gospel to the entire universe. Why does the bishop take off his omophorion while reading the Gospel? While reading the Gospel, the bishop takes off his omophorion, thereby showing his slavery to the Lord. Since He appears to be speaking through the Gospel and is, as it were, present in the church, at this time the bishop does not dare to wear the image of His incarnation (I’m talking about the omophorion), but, taking it off his shoulders, gives it to the deacon. Why does the deacon, having folded the widow's omophorion, carry it in his hand, also hold the trikirium and precede the Holy Gifts? The deacon, having folded the omophorion in half, holds it on his right hand, standing near the bishop; he also precedes the Holy Sacrament 33 and holds the trikirium 34 in his hand. This means that in the next century the object of contemplation for everyone will be Jesus, who became incarnate and suffered for us and, as One of the Trinity, illuminating us with the rays of the Divine. What does the descent of the bishop from the co-throne and the threefold overshadowing of the trikiria mean? Descending from the seat, the bishop depicts the providence and care of Christ the Savior for us from heaven, because even when He ascended, He did not separate from us. Therefore, by overshadowing the people with the trikirium after the Gospel, during the prayer for the kings, the bishop thereby shows that the pious kingdom is established on the priesthood and on the Gospel of Christ, and he prays for these kingdoms so that they may abide by the grace of the Trinity, because Christ has promised to be with us. On the other hand, this also testifies to the fact that He will come to us again during His Second Coming, which with particular clarity depicts the glorious entrance of the Holy Gifts, for here it is depicted both by the face of the bishop and the entrance of the Holy Gifts. Why does the bishop approach the throne and pray? Approaching the throne, the bishop himself begins the prayers, showing himself to be a minister of the sacrament. What does it mean to remove the catechumens? The catechumens immediately leave, and the faithful are commanded to remain, because this moment of the service means the time of death, because when the Gospel is preached, it is said... throughout the entire universe... then the end of the world will come (Matthew 24:14). But since, according to the word of the Savior, at the end He will send His Angels and they will separate the evil from the righteous, the Church also does the same, calling on the catechumens so that they come out and that only the faithful remain. From this we can understand how careful the faithful must be so as not to communicate with those unworthy of communication, especially the priests, because if the law prohibits communication in prayer, then even more so in offering a Sacrifice. How and for whom should particles be offered at the Holy Gifts? Priests should not indiscriminately accept Sacrifice from the faithful who are clearly sinning, but must first demand repentance, because through the offered particle communion is accomplished, and meanwhile those who live unworthily should not have participation in the Sacrifice. But I know that here too many are arguing about why we are talking about removing the catechumens, when there are no catechumens. But just as in other cases they are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures and the sacraments of the Church, so it is here. There are always catechumens in the Church, and these are, firstly, all unbaptized infants of the faithful who, after their birth, receiving sacred prayers, but not yet becoming faithful and perfect through baptism, are catechumens 35 . Therefore, we pray for them at all times, and on Holy Pentecost we make special prayers and petitions for those preparing for holy enlightenment. And secondly, we also have catechumens in the person of those who, being under the power of infidels, but containing faith in their hearts, try to leave wickedness and come to the Church; Also, of those who have flown to the Church, we also consider as catechumens those who have not yet been sanctified by the Divine world. Thirdly, we have catechumens in the person of those who have been accused of either murder or some other serious sin - such are not allowed to partake of the Holy Mysteries, they are only allowed to listen to the Divine Scriptures. And this latter was allowed only because of the love of the fathers, because before, as the rules of the Church say, they too were expelled. Why does the bishop wash himself before entering the Holy Gifts? When the time comes to offer the Divine Gifts, the bishop first washes himself in front of everyone, showing his purity and immaculateness during the sacred rite, as well as the fact that a person must approach the Pure and serve His purest Sacraments, as clean as possible from all filth. How is the entrance of the Divine Gifts performed with solemnity? After this, the solemn carrying and entry of the Honest Gifts is performed with magnificence, accompanied by readers, deacons, priests, preceding and following with lamps and other sacred things, because this signifies, as we have already said, the last Coming of Christ, when He will come with glory. Therefore, an omophorion with a cross on it is carried ahead, which symbolizes the sign of Jesus and Jesus Himself that is about to appear from heaven. The omophorion is followed by other deacons corresponding to the rank of Angels. Then come those bearing the Holy Gifts and behind them all the others, holding on their heads the sacred veil, which depicts the naked and dead Jesus. Why do the clergy, entering the altar, pray for the bishop, remembering the Kingdom of God? Having passed the church with prayer for the people, the clergy enter the altar, each praying for the bishop. This is not any other prayer, but only - may the bishop be remembered in the Kingdom of God. This shows that even at the end of the world, after the separation of the wicked and their removal from God, after the appearance of the Savior, there will be one inheritance for the faithful - the Kingdom of God. And the Kingdom of God is Christ Himself and the contemplation of His economy, His humility to the point of death and slaughter for us; a vision of His pierced life-giving and divine Body, showing wounds, but already clothed in immortality, giving us victory over death and from His wounds exuding to us incorruption, and life, and deification together with the Angels, and food, and drink, and life, and light, true animal Bread, true light and eternal life, which we have in Christ Jesus Himself. Therefore, this Entrance symbolizes both the Second Coming of the Savior and His death, because, as it is said, in the next century He will be an object of contemplation, a kingdom and rest, which the thief who received enlightenment on the cross foreknew and foretold when he said: “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom” (see Luke 23:42). Why do the faithful bow before the priests during the Great Entrance? It is good that all the faithful bow before the priests. On the one hand, they thus ask for their prayers and ask to remember them during the sacred rite, and on the other, they give honor to the Divine Gifts, because, although they have not yet been sacred, they are already dedicated to God in the sentence, and the priest has already sent up a prayer, asking to be accepted into the heavenly altar. Thus, although they are not yet perfect, they are prepared for perfection, they constitute an offering to God and are gifts instead of the Lord’s Body and Blood. Let the arrogant blasphemers be ashamed, envying us, like Cain did Abel, and rebelling against the sacred, and let them fear condemnation from God! We do not worship idols when we fall before the Holy Gifts - far from it! - but we give honor to the Gifts consecrated to God through prayers, although they have not yet been completed, but as sanctified through offering them to God, as those who have received sanctification through the most Divine prayers and as substitutes for the Body and Blood of Christ. Do those who say this count their offering before pronouncing the Lord’s words and after other prayers for idols? What kind of justification will they have, finally, for calling the gifts dedicated to God in the offering of the Gifts idols (oh, how terrible is this!)? They are worse than the wicked iconoclasts, because Divine icons are holy as an image of truth, and Gifts dedicated to God are also because they are offered to be transmuted into the Body and Blood of Christ. So, if we must give veneration and worship to holy icons, then even more so to these Gifts, as instead of images, in the words of Basil the Great, and as brought to be transmuted into the Body and Blood of Christ. Moreover, one must bow before the priests for the sake of the sacred vessels, at least some of them remain unoccupied, because they all participate in consecration due to the Divine Gifts celebrated in them. Why do priests carry even empty holy vessels during Entry? And therefore there is nothing to be surprised that some of them are empty - they are worn in honor of the Divine Gifts, so that everyone, looking at them or approaching them, receives sanctification. Why are the Holy Gifts covered on the Holy Altar? Upon being placed at the holy table, the Divine Gifts are covered as a sign that Jesus was not at first recognized by everyone and that, having become incarnate, He did not come from the hiddenness of His Divinity and Providence, but always remains incomprehensible and unknowable and is knowable only to the extent that He Himself is revealed. Why does the bishop ask everyone for prayers? The bishop, bowing his head, asks everyone to pray for themselves in a sense of consciousness of their unworthiness, trembling and horrified by the terrible sacred rite. In this way, the apostolic command is fulfilled to confess each other’s sins and pray for each other, for the priestly bishop dares to begin the priesthood without relying on himself, being himself a man. What does the overshadowing of the people with trikiria after the Entrance mean? When the priests respond to his words, the bishop overshadows the people, performing a prayer for the people, and at the same time, as if asking for prayers from everyone and for himself. Therefore, the people say not “Lord, have mercy,” but “For many years, master,” 36 as if praying, may they be fragrant with the sacramental rites and may they remain celebrants for a long time. Why are the Holy Doors closed after the Fall? Upon the entrance of the bishop, the Doors are closed, since not everyone is worthy of contemplating the sacrament, but only those who have accepted the priesthood 37. And just as there is an order between the Angels, according to which the first directly receive the Divine Light, the second from the first, and the last from the middle, as Dionysius, wise in things, says, so we see in the Church. The bishop directly approaches the sacred meal, the priests and deacons follow him, and behind the priests and deacons the people take part in the terrible communion and sacred songs. Why is the sacred Symbol pronounced and kissing done? After the first prayer, during the recitation of the sacred Symbol, a kiss is performed as a sign that, firstly, through the right confession of the Trinity and the incarnation of the One from the Trinity, we are united with each other and this same confession unites us with the Antels, and secondly, that we must love each other as Christ, Who sacrificed Himself for the sake of love, and therefore whoever wants to become a partaker of Him must stand without any malice; and, finally, as a sign that in the future life everyone will be friends with each other and there will be no enemies there, because those who are at war will be cast out. Why is the veil kept over the Holy Gifts until the end of the Symbol? A sacred cover 38 is kept over the Gifts until the end of the sacred Symbol as a sign that all the dogmas of Christ must be confessed purely and thus rise to the vision of His revealed face. At the end of all this, the bishop begins the sacred rite and, praising Divine deeds and giving thanks to God for everything, enters into unity with the Archangels. How is the Trisagion hymn sung inside and outside? And together with them (the Archangels) the victory song is proclaimed: “Holy, holy, holy” 39. The people also proclaim it, expressing that in the next century we will have common praise with the Angels and unity with them. Then, having chanted the greatest of God’s works - the incarnation of the Only Begotten and the greatest work of His economy - His death for us, the bishop proceeds to remember the institution of the sacrament and proclaims the sacred words that the Savior Himself spoke while performing the sacred rite: Take, eat: this is My body and: Drink of it, all of you, this is My blood, and so on (Matthew 26, 26–28 ). Then, having given thanks for everything and offered Gifts for everyone, he calls upon himself and the gifts presented the Divine grace of the Spirit. Having accomplished by her power the consecration of the gifts presented by the sign of the cross and the invocation of the Spirit, from that moment he sees the living Jesus presented, truly existing here under the guise of bread and wine, because the bread is His very Body, and what is in the cup is His very Blood, and at the Divine meal the universal Sacrifice, general propitiation, living food, endless joy and the Kingdom of Heaven are presented before everyone. and the only true good. That is why the hierarch prays for everyone with boldness: he receives boldness from the contemplation of the One who presents himself, the sacrificed (Jesus), the Humane-loving and Gentle One, and he praises Him, and prays for everyone, and remembers the departed saints. Why does the bishop commemorate both the saints and the Most Holy Theotokos during the rite? He especially remembers the Virgin Mother of God who gave birth to Him virginally, testifying by this that we have entered into unity with the saints and through this Sacrifice have become their fellows and that they, having boldness towards the Lover and Beloved, can reconcile us and unite us with Him. The answer to those who say blasphemously: why do we believe that the Divine Gifts are sanctified through prayer? But here some of the wrong-minded, as if encountering bewilderment in relation to the invocation of the Spirit and the performance of the Gifts, or rather, rebelling against what was handed down from the Savior and His Apostles, as well as from their successors - the God-bearing Fathers, raise disputes and say: “Why are we not content with the Lord’s words alone when performing the Divine Gifts, but rely on our prayer with boldness?” So, they boldly and blasphemously reject the calling of the Divine Spirit, and they reject - it’s scary to say! - His effective power, promised and actually granted by the Savior Himself to the apostles, who were ordained by her as clergy and shepherds at the time when the All-Holy Spirit descended on them and invested His power in them through tongues of fire; with it they performed sacred rites, and dedication through the laying on of hands, and healings, and miracles. For in this case, it is not the simple words “Make this bread the honorable Body of Thy Christ” and so on that have power, but the fact that the priest says this with the Spirit, that is, with grace, or with the power of the priesthood. From here it is clear that even if tens of thousands of times the Lord’s words and the entire Divine calling were uttered even by all the kings or ascetics or all the pious who do not have the priesthood, or even all the faithful that are on earth together, nothing would happen from this if there is no priest, and the Gifts offered by them would not at all be consecrated and would not be transmuted into the Body and Blood of Christ, because it is not man, but God who acts through the priest who calls the grace of the Spirit, and what the priest says is effective according to the power of the priesthood. And this power is the power of God, which not every faithful person has, but only those who have received priestly ordination. And every prayer of his has perfect power through Divine grace. He who does not believe this and does not accept this, therefore, does not accept baptism, nor the sacrament of peace, nor the ordination of sacred ranks, nor the remission of sins, nor the sacred prayer of the monastic form, and comes close to the infidel and removes the lot of Christians from himself, because all this is accomplished through the prayers of sacred persons. Therefore, when performing baptism, we, in accordance with tradition, baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, sanctifying the baptized with the invocation of the Trinity, and we are not content with the words handed down from the Savior alone, but before them we use the seal of the sign of the cross and the breath and purify the baptized with negations, combinations, prayers, anointing with consecrated oil, the sign of the cross, and breaths, and invocation of the Holy Trinity. We sanctify the very water of baptism with the sign of the cross and invocation of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, we consecrate the sacred chrism with the bishop’s prayers and the sign of the cross, and after baptism we perform the baptized and anointed person with sacred prayers. And the sacred waters, on the day of Epiphany and on other days, sanctified by the power received by the priests from Him who was baptized in water when the Spirit descended, we consecrate with prayers. We also accept an ordained bishop or priest by virtue of sacred prayers and the invocation of the Spirit, which have power from the gift and grace of the Comforter, who descended, as we said, on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire. In the same way, we firmly believe that the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is accomplished by priestly prayers and is accomplished by the sign of the cross and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, after the Lord’s words: Take, eat, and drink from it all, and also: Do this in remembrance of Me (1 Cor. 11:24) - once and forever granted to the apostles and their successors according to grace has the right to do this through prayer. That is why, turning to the Father and praising the works of the economy, the priest first proclaims the Divine words of Christ and says that He betrayed this and that therefore we offer them (Gifts) to You for everyone, according to His commandment, and we pray to You: “Send down Your Spirit on me and on the Gifts that are presented and make them His Body and Blood, as He said, translating it with Your Holy Spirit.” Together with these words, the priest marks the Gifts with a cross and, according to the threefold sign, believes that the bread and wine are the Body and Blood, because Christ Himself acts through the priest together with the Father and the Spirit, and since He Himself is both the Bringer and the Offered, and the Sacred Actor, the Sacred Actor, and the Receiver and the Distributed One, as we say in the most sacred prayer of the Great Entrance. And to show us this more clearly, the priest does not signify the Gifts at the time when he says: Take, eat and: Drink from it, all of you, - these words, as we said, he says, turning to the Father, and after them the Gifts are still substituted, as Basil the Great calls them. But after the offering of the Gifts and the words “Thine from Thine” and the invocation of the grace of the Spirit, the priest (he believes that it is at this time that it comes, according to the voice of the priestly prayer), rising, signifies the Divine Gifts, saying: “Make this bread the honorable Body of Thy Christ,” he blesses the bread; then, saying: “And in this cup, the precious Blood of Thy Christ,” he blesses the cup; the third time he blesses both; Having exclaimed: “Having changed it by Your Holy Spirit,” he adds: “Amen,” affirming the Sacrament and boldly confessing that what lies before him is the Body and Blood of Christ by His power, both the Father and the Spirit. And there is nothing human here, but everything happens by Divine grace. That is why the one who brings the Gifts is the person who has accepted ordination, and the meal at which the Gifts are presented is sanctified, and without this nothing is sanctified. So, the words of the Lord, as we said, constitute the first basis of the sacred act, but they are brought into actual fulfillment by the prayers of the priest, so, however, that it is not man who acts, although the priest is a man, but Christ in the Holy Spirit through the priesthood of the priests, just as God once said: Let the earth grow, - and this word acts, and the earth always grows; or rivers: Let there be light, and light always appears (Gen. 1, 11, 3); in the same way He said: Do this in remembrance of Me, and His word always works through the priests. That is why the words “make this bread the Body of Christ” are brought into effect through the priests, and that is why, in fact, the sacred act is the truth, and not the image, the Body and Blood of Christ, because He Himself, as said above, acts through the priests and He Himself gave it so that it would be so that the sacred act would be performed through prayers. He took, as it is written, bread and looked up to heaven and, having given thanks to the Father, broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying: Take, eat and drink from it, and so on. Thus, He Himself performed the sacred act of bread and wine through prayers, not having, like Almighty God, the need for prayers, but showing us through this that the power of the Trinity is one and that, performing a sacred act on Himself, He has the favor of the Father and the assistance of the Spirit for this, as was the case in His Divine Incarnation, since the Only Begotten was incarnate, but the Father also favored, and the Spirit assisted the incarnation, which the words teach Archangel to Virgo. And this is because there is one power and one action of the Trinity, and the incarnate Son alone did not do anything that the Father did not favor or that the Holy Spirit did not contribute to. Consequently, whoever rejects priestly prayers during the celebration of the sacraments does not accept any other final prayer during all the sacred sacraments. He is not even a Christian, because, as we said above, he does not accept baptism, no anointing, no repentance, no holy oil, no absolution, no Divine priesthood, no monastic image, no holy church, no honest marriage and no sanctification at all, since all this is accomplished through priestly prayers. So, let such a person either not say a prayer at all, either before or after the sacred rite, and thus not call upon the grace of the Spirit, so as not to have communion with Christ; also, let him not invoke the grace of the Spirit either at baptism or during other sacred actions and not be a Christian at all - or, calling himself a Christian and accepting the prayers of the priests, let him accept these perfect words addressed to the Father and containing the invocation of the Spirit, as the Savior committed to act at the consecration of the Mysteries, giving thanks, as it is said, to the Father. The apostles, who celebrated the Eucharist together and broke bread together, inspired the same thing by their example. Fathers Basil and Chrysostom betrayed this - let those who resist be convicted by their liturgies, because they also pray that the gifts presented become the Body and Blood of Christ, and bless the Gifts, according to Divine tradition, not being content with the words of the Lord alone. But let these blasphemers change everything in their own way! And we, observing the traditions we have accepted, as the Savior Himself betrayed and through the apostles and fathers, perform the Mysteries of the terrible communion by invoking the Divine Spirit, as well as through the words of the Lord and priestly prayers, and we believe, according to Divine tradition, that all Divine sacred rites are performed from the prayer of the priest with the Divine invocation and from the sign of the cross. But enough about that. What does the Lord's Prayer mean and what does it mean? Finally, the bishop, having prayed that it would be given to us to glorify God with one mouth and one heart, and having called upon us the mercies of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, leads us to adoption by the Heavenly Father, praying that we, purified through the Son by nature, may become sons by grace and worthily call on our Heavenly Father. And this shows our like-mindedness in the future century and unity with the Father through the Only Begotten Son in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the bishop, having asked for peace, thanked and called on Jesus with a prayer that He would impart the Holy Gifts to him and grant him communion and others through him, having performed the sacred act, proceeds to receive communion. Why does the bishop put on his omophorion again? He takes the omophorion again, showing that at first he was in the position of a servant and therefore was afraid to have this sacred vestment on himself, but then, after completing the work, he begins to offer bread and divide it into parts, take communion and receive communion, and then he needs to put on all the sacred signs of his dignity. Since the omophorion is the primary vestment of the hierarch, one must take it too and partake of the Most Divine Mysteries in it. So, having clothed himself, lifted up the Bread and exclaimed: “Holy to holies!” - he calls everyone to the Divine, living Food of the holy meal, warning, however, that this Food is for the saints: “Holy,” he says, “to the saints.” What do the words “one holy, one Lord” mean and say? And the people unanimously exclaim: “There is one holy, one Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father.” This, says Paul, will be preached on the last day, when every knee will worship Jesus... and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11). So, this confesses the general unity of all the faithful and the agreement of all in the preaching of the incarnate Son of God, who will reign over all, and His kingdom will have no end, as it is written (Luke 1:33). But in addition, the words “one is holy,” pronounced in response to “holy of holies,” proclaim, firstly, that God Himself is holy, and from Him sanctification is given to all who are sanctified, and secondly, they contain a sermon on humility: “Which of us,” they say, “is pure or who is holy?” There is only one saint, one Christ, who, out of love for mankind, sanctified us. What does the exaltation of the Divine bread mean? The rise of the bread represents the ascension of Jesus to the Cross. Therefore, here lies a cup containing the very Blood and water that flowed from His holy rib. Why does the bishop divide the Divine bread into four parts and place them in a cross shape? The bishop divides the bread into four parts and places them crosswise; thus, here too he contemplates the crucified Jesus, because there is no other sight so wondrous as to contemplate the High God so humbled for our sake. Then taking the top particle and making the sign of the cross with the bread, he puts it into the chalice and thus performs the union of the Mysteries. Why is warm water added to the Mysteries? Then he pours warm water into the Chalice and by this action testifies that the Body of the Lord, even becoming dead after the Divine soul was separated from it, nevertheless remained alive, because the Divinity did not retreat and all the active powers of the Spirit were not separated from Him. Since warm water symbolizes life with its warmth, it is poured during communion so that when we touch the Chalice with our lips and partake of the Blood, we are in such a position as if we were drinking from that life-giving rib, from which the Divinity was not separated. This is what joining and feeling warmth means. For it is written that our God is fire (see Deut. 4:24). There are other explanations for this from the most exalted people, and they are worthy of surprise. But this explanation will be sufficient for us. As far as can be understood from what is said during the infusion of warmth, the Church has precisely this goal that we spoke about. And it says: “The warmth of the Holy Spirit” 40. Why is warmed water added to the Presanctified Gifts? But this is even more clearly seen from the fact that warmth is added to the Presanctified Gifts. If there had been any other purpose for this, then there would be no need to add warmth to the Gifts, since it was already poured into the Chalice during the performed liturgy. That the breaking of bread is carried out in imitation of the sacred rite of the Savior By crushing the bread into many separate particles, the bishop imitates in this the sacred act of Jesus, Who, as it is written, broke the bread and gave it to His disciples. How do bishops and priests receive communion? First, the bishop himself accepts a piece of the Bread and partakes of the terrible Chalice, because no one else will give him the Holy Gifts, unless there is one of his equals, that is, a bishop. What does it mean when clergy kiss the bishop’s right hand and cheek during communion? Then he gives the Holy Gifts to everyone else, who kiss his hand and cheek, which depicts our communion in the flesh with Christ in the next century and inextricable unity with Him. The bishop’s hand and cheek receive a kiss: the hand because it serves and touches the Terrible Mysteries, and the cheek because it constitutes an instrument of the word, with its help prayers are offered; this also happens for the sake of love and fellowship in Christ, which is confirmed by the words “Christ is in our midst.” This is also done because Christ suffered a beating on the cheek, so that this would remind the bishop of what humiliation the Lord taught, and so that he would not be exalted in any way during such Divine and great actions. Why do the clergy receive the Mysteries in the altar and, moreover, with their own hands and lips, and the laity outside the altar and through a spoon? After the altar servers have received communion at the altar and, in accordance with the order, which, according to the teaching of Paul, will be observed in the next century (because each, he says, will be in his own order), have received the Divine Bread with their hands and partook of the Cups with their lips, the Most Holy Gifts, covered, are finally shown to the people. And this means that not everyone, as said, is allowed to see them uncovered. And so, whoever is worthy of communion, approaching with reverence and fear, partakes of it not directly, but with the bishop’s hand through a spoon. Also, the Holy Gifts are shown to the people so that everyone would worship the One who was sacred for us, slain as a Sacrifice and offered to the Father, and so that through worship, thanksgiving and sight all the faithful would be sanctified, so that they would receive mercy - both those present and, according to the word of prayer, those absent, and the faithful throughout the world. This is also done so that those who die piously will be worthy of glory. Therefore, at this time, let every faithful pray for himself and for his own, both living and dead, contemplating the Lord Himself, who revealed Himself as a reconciliator and became the Sacrifice and propitiation for all. Let every faithful with all fear and love, with his head uncovered, look at the Divine Gifts that are revealed and with reverence and fear worship them and pray for himself, and for his own, and for all the faithful, as we said, until the priest, having confessed, takes them to the altar as an offering. And no one should neglect this terrible time, because Christ Himself appears and in the Chalice is His all-holy Body and Most Divine Blood. Whatever anyone prays for at this time with faith, he will receive what he asks for in His holy name, as He Himself said. We must perform the same worship with fear and the same prayer at the entrance of the Presanctified Gifts, as if we were looking at Christ Himself held at the head of the priest 41 . What does the last incense of the Mysteries and the words “Ascend, O God” spoken at the same time mean? Having prayed for God’s property and for the coming people, the bishop leaves and burns the Gifts, accompanying the incense with words pointing to the Ascension of the Savior and the glory of His preaching that was then revealed in all creation, and as if saying to the Savior: “You descended to us and appeared like us, and then ascended again to heaven and, having ascended, filled the whole earth with the glory of Your power. By sacredly celebrating Your Mysteries, we commune with You and have You constantly inherent in us.” After this, when the Holy Gifts are brought to the altar, with the deacon holding the paten on his head, and the priests carrying the Cup in their hands, he himself, having given thanks and washed his hands, goes out to distribute the so-called antidoron to the people. What is the so-called antidor and its distribution? Since the bishop, as we said, portrays Christ, Whom he officiated and Whom he received communion and taught to other clergy, then it is necessary to involve the people in the sanctification. This sanctification is accepted by the mind and communicated to the faithful through prayers and terrible sacred rites, however, since those clothed with flesh must receive sanctification through something sensory, this is accomplished through the antidor. Antidoron is consecrated bread that was offered as an offering and the middle of which was taken out and used for the sacred rite. This bread, as sealed with a copy and having received the Divine words, is taught instead of the terrible Gifts, that is, the Mysteries, to those who have not partaken of them 42. Having done this and asked for a blessing from the people, the bishop ends the sacred service. We would like to explain to you in more detail all the actions of the most sacred service, but since our mind is weak, and yet some of the greatest and Divine men wrote about this worthy of their high wisdom, then, referring you to them, we remain silent. And what we said, we said not on our own, but on the basis of explanations borrowed from the fathers and the best teachers of piety, who sublimely expounded the teaching about this. We had the intention of talking about what happens during the proskomedia, but since this is also explained by them, we do not need to talk about it. Let's just say a little of what happens at the proskomedia, namely that, according to the ancient institution, the priest first brings the Bread, and then makes the union in the Chalice. What is the significance of the particles brought in and what do they serve? After this, the priest brings particles to God, one in honor of the Mother of the Lord, others for the saints, and others for the living and deceased faithful. The question arises: what power do the particles have, are they transformed into the Body of the Lord, and what benefit do they provide to those for whom they are offered? There is a teaching that has come to us from the fathers that the offered particles bring great benefit, because during the service they represent those persons for whom they are offered, and constitute the sacrifice offered for them to God. This is exactly what the priest expresses when he says while offering them: “Accept, Lord, this sacrifice.” So, the particles offered for the saints serve for their glory and honor, for their ascent to higher dignity and for greater perception of the Divine light; those offered for the faithful serve for the remission of sins and the communion of Divine grace for the deceased, and for the living, if only they improve their lives through repentance, for liberation from troubles, for the remission of sins, and for the hope of eternal life. Thus, through the Divine sacred rite, the saints ascend higher, and the faithful, as has been said, are taught the gift of Divine mercy. That the priest must pay attention for whom he brings the particle But as useful as this action is when it is performed for those who bring it worthily, it is just as dangerous and harmful if it is performed for those who do not live as worthily as is possible for people. For a particle offered for someone, being next to the Divine Bread at the time when it is sacred and transposed into the Body of Christ, itself immediately becomes a part of sanctification, and having been placed in the chalice, it unites there with the Blood. Therefore, it brings down grace on the soul for which it was offered. Here, as it were, mental communion takes place, and if a person is pious or sinful, but has repented, then his soul, as we said, invisibly receives the communion of the Spirit. However, often the body, as we are taught, benefits from this. And if someone remains in sin and, without deviating from it at all, turns out to be unworthy of communion, the sacrifice made for him will serve as condemnation. Therefore, the priest must be careful not to indiscriminately accept offerings from anyone who wishes and not to offer for those who openly commit sin, so as not to be condemned along with him. This is why temptations and sorrows arise: For this reason, it is said, many of you are weak and sick, and many die (1 Cor. 11:30). It is necessary that in these such great works of God the priest listens to himself and judges himself, as it is written, to be attentive as much as possible. If he must vouch for others, then much more for himself, and if he who receives communion, who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks condemnation for himself (1 Cor. I. 29), then all the more so does he who officiates unworthily. Therefore, we, who have accepted the lot of the priesthood, will pay careful attention to ourselves and take every possible care of purity and unforgettable disposition, so that humility and love may increase in our souls - the properties of the One who serves us as priests, so that, by worthily communing with Him in the present age, we in the future will be honored with ineffable and eternal communion with Him through the grace and love of mankind of Christ Himself, the Son of the Living God, To Whom belongs glory together with His Originless Father and the Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. This refers to the sacrament of Confirmation. This refers to the sacrament of the Eucharist. Sschmch. Dionysius the Areopagite. St. Ambrose of Milan. The narthex, or refectory part of the church. Obviously, this refers to the barrier separating the altar from the church. In the East, it was not continuous, like our iconostasis, and consisted of a series of columns or parapets. Sometimes the altar was separated from the church by carved bars. Both the srachitsa and the inditia (the lower and upper vestments of the throne) in plan look like a cross, the ends of which, when vesting the throne or altar, hang down and cover its four sides. In practice, thrones are often made of wood. This refers to the High Place - the space between the altar and the eastern wall of the altar, where there is a somewhat elevated seat, arranged in cathedral churches. At some moments of the service, the serving bishop ascends to this seat, bearing within himself the image of Christ - the Great Bishop and Lord of glory. Co-altars are also called seats arranged on both sides of the High Place for priests, who, during the hierarchal service, represent the holy apostles. In the Ancient Church, the relics of the holy martyrs were placed at the base of the throne. In the Russian Church, there has historically been a tradition of sewing particles of relics into the antimension. The Greek word μάρτυς, translated “martyr,” means “witness.” Perhaps this refers to the rite of consecration of the church. The word "oil" in Greek also means "mercy." The surplice, which the priest and bishop wear under other sacred vestments, is called the surplice. In ancient times, surplices were white linen clothing, as indicated by one of the names of the surplice - “alba”, that is, “white” (Latin). The priestly surplice, sacristan, still retains its historical white color. Currently, this inscription is embroidered only on the so-called double orarions, which are worn by archdeacons and protodeacons, as well as deacons awarded the right to wear such an orarion. That is, streams in the form of ribbons sewn on the front of the bishop's vestment. Tablets are quadrangular pieces of matter with Seraphim or crosses depicted on them. The tablets are seen as a symbolic representation of the Old and New Testaments. The belt is part of the vestments of a priest and bishop. Worn over the cassock and stole. Epigonatius is a word literally translated from Greek that sounds like “patella.” This word can mean both a legguard and a club - a square piece of material worn on the right side (or on both the right and left when wearing a legguard and a club at the same time). The gaiter and club, being an integral part of the bishop's vestments, are worn only by those priests who are awarded to wear them. Until the 11th–12th centuries, the only outer liturgical attire of bishops was the phelonion - polystavrion, or the so-called baptized chasuble, so there was no difference in outer clothing between bishops and priests. However, from this time on, the Byzantine emperors began to grant the Patriarchs of Constantinople items of royal vestments, in particular the sakkos. By the beginning of the 15th century, the episcopal phelonion was completely replaced by the sakkos, which from that time became the common liturgical vestment for all bishops. In ancient times, omophorions were made from white woolen material, and only later they began to be made from brocade and other fabrics of various colors. Here Saint Simeon speaks of a local custom accepted in his Local Church. An important part of the ordination of bishops is the placing on the head of the consecrated Gospel with the letters facing down, while the presiding bishop proclaims the concluding prayer of the sacrament. In ancient times, after being ordained to the priesthood, henchmen shaved their hair on their heads in the form of a circle as a symbol of the Savior’s crown of thorns. In Russia, this cropped circle was called a humenzo (analogous to a Roman Catholic tonsure). Here Saint Simeon begins his interpretation of the rites of the liturgy. In ancient times, antiphons in the liturgy had a different form from the modern one and were verses of various psalms, interspersed with choruses (for example: “Through the prayers of the Mother of God, Savior, save us”). Nowadays, this structure has been preserved only in the so-called everyday antiphons and festive antiphons, sounded in the church on the days of the twelve feasts. Here and further we are talking about the so-called Small Entrance. Dikiriy and trikirium are candlesticks for two and three candles, respectively. They are part of the bishop's worship service. This refers to the exclamation of the bishop, which is a repetition of the words of the psalmist (“godfather”): “Look down from heaven, O God, and see, and visit this grape, and establish it, and plant it with your right hand” (see Ps. 79: 15-16). Here and further we are talking about the Great Entrance. In practice, the dikiriy and trikyriy are presented during the Great Entrance by the subdeacons. In ancient times, the rites, which are now part of the sacrament of Baptism, were separated in time. Thus, the rite of naming was performed on the 8th day, the mother’s prayer - on the 40th, the rite of announcement - on the 4th week of Lent, sometimes several years later. The renunciation of the devil and the union with Christ took place on Great Friday. Actually, Baptism and Confirmation were received at Vespers on Holy Saturday. Thus, several years could have passed between the first rites over the newborn and the sacrament of Baptism. All this time the baby belonged to the rank of catechumens. In the practice of the Russian Church, these words sound in Greek: “These are the people, the despot.” Obviously, the closing of the Royal Doors after the Great Entrance was the custom of the Local Church of St. Simeon. In modern practice, during the episcopal service of the liturgy, the Royal Doors are opened during the initial exclamation of the liturgy and remain open until the exclamation “Holy to Holies.” In today's practice, while singing the Creed, the clergy hold the air over the Gifts and make oscillatory movements with them as a sign of the Holy Spirit blowing over them, just as the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles was preceded by the breath of the wind. These words are a repetition of the exclamation of the Seraphim from the vision of the prophet Isaiah: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts! the whole earth is full of His glory! (Isa. 6:3). Therefore, Saint Simeon says that we proclaim this song together with the angelic world. The modern liturgical rite speaks of the warmth of faith. Thus, the priest pronounces the words: “Blessed is the warmth of Your saints always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen". The deacon, pouring hot water into the chalice, answers: “Fill the warmth of faith with the Holy Spirit,” that is, the warmth of faith is aroused in people by the action of the Holy Spirit. During the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the Missal instructs the priest to hold a chalice in his hand during the Great Entrance, and a paten with the Holy Gifts on his head. The Greek word antidor actually means “instead of Gifts.”