“For a man’s complete sanctification, the body of the servant of the Lord must be united with the Body of Christ, and this is accomplished in the Mystery of Holy Communion. The true Body and the true Blood of Christ which we receive become part of the great Body of Christ.” – St. John the Wonderworker
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Christ is Born!
Glorify Him!
Very recently, I attended our youngest son’s Christmas Program at school: the ritual where children are rapidly paraded on and off the stage while familiar songs about toys, reindeer and snow are enthusiastically presented in between the shuffle of one grade to another.
Like every other parent in attendance, I was there, primarily to see my own child sing; not the other 629 kids who were performing the same songs I sang as an elementary student. This was evident, witnessing the auditorium thin out as the program progressed, and the only spots in the house that continued to be popular were the front rows and side aisles where parents recorded their children’s two songs.
I also had iPhone in hand, ready to capture these brief moments of holiday cheer. The only problem was that, once again, Dimitri was in the back row on the far-right side, nearly blocked completely from my view. And further still, the little girl in front of him, wore a Santa hat that bounced up and down, making it even harder to get a proper visual.
I share this experience because I realize that a visual connection and proper perspective is imperative to connection and complete understanding. In a way, the same can be said in understanding worship.
In the wisdom of the Church, the bishop or priest celebrating the Divine Liturgy does so with his back facing the congregation of the faithful. This practice was not established to set the celebrant apart from the assembly of worshippers; quite the opposite. The bishop or priest has his back to the parish because he is facing the same direction as the parish. He leads in worship. He celebrates the Divine Liturgy with you, not at you.
But admittedly, there are great numbers of the faithful whose understanding of the Divine Liturgy might eventually stall since there is a lack of…visual and perspective.
So…with every church service, I’m like the kid in the Santa hat blocking your view of what you “came to see.” That is, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.
So to offer an opportunity to grant that perspective and unveil the mystery of what takes place in the altar, before and during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, we have designated Sunday, January 8th as our first Teaching Divine Liturgy.
There are many things that will be different about the divine services on that day. These (extremely temporary) alterations to our traditional practices include:
- The Orthros will begin at 8:15 am and will be celebrated in a normal fashion.
- At 9:15 am, when Orthros usually begins, I will pray, out loud, the Kairos (preparatory) Prayers and the Vesting Prayers. While Vesting, I will explain the different parts of the priest’s vestments regarding their symbolism and purpose.
- We will then do the preparation of the Gifts or Proskomede Service. This will be conducted outside of the altar and in full view of all who are in attendance. This is the service where we take the bread and wine offering and place them, in a detailed and beautiful manner, in the chalice and on the paten. This is one of the most beautiful and meaningful services of the church.
- Before the Divine Liturgy begins at 10:15, I will offer a brief commentary on the service itself. This will be a day of education and worship.
- Sunday School classes, beginning with 4th Grade will remain in church for this unique learning experience.
- The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated outside of the altar, and I will be facing you the entire time so that you can see everything that is done, and how it is done.
- Every inaudible prayer will be recited out loud so that you can experience the flow of the Divine Liturgy in a comprehensive way.
- Following the Teaching Divine Liturgy, I will offer some closing statements and in lieu of a sermon, I will take questions about anything that was seen or experienced during the service.
Please do not be confused by the intentions of this service. I am not advocating for liturgical reform, and that the celebrant should always face the congregation, and that every Divine Liturgy must be transformed into a teaching lab. My didactic purpose is to grant an experience of learning through, as I’ve stated, a different perspective and an opportunity to be visually involved throughout the entirety of the service.
I would highly recommend that you attend the services beginning with the Kairos and Vesting. Once you have seen the spiritual process from beginning to end, your experience of the Divine Liturgy will never be the same.
This is a completely transformative experience!
As the above quote from St. John the Wonderworker states, the purpose of the Eucharist is for the sanctification of humankind. And in the Orthodox Church, The Divine Liturgy is the setting in which the Eucharist is celebrated, prepared and offered. Please take this opportunity to see, perhaps for the first time in your life, the fullness of sanctity through the gift of the Eucharistic Banquet!
With Much Love in Christ Who is to be Born in a Cave and Lain in a Manger,
Fr. Anthony