If you go only to Sunday services during Lent, you will not feel fasting, despite abstaining from food. It is also necessary to attend special fasting services in order to feel the contrast of these holy days with other days of the year, in order to deeply breathe in the healing air of Lent. The main special service is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
...Lent flies by quickly. And having flown by, it often leaves behind a residue of dissatisfaction. They say that the Lenten time has passed again, and I have not had time to work or change. Easter is approaching, and I feel that I cheated the entire Lent, felt sorry for myself, and fasted half-heartedly. And I seem to know that “The Kingdom is taken by force”, that “the path is narrow and the gate is narrow”, but I repeat out of habit that “the times are not the same”, that there is no strength. I relax myself, I calm others who are relaxed.
The planets circle their dance around the Sun.Our Sun is Christ. “For you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise and healing in its rays,” says the prophet Malachi (Malachi 4:2).
So at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, we touch the Lamb with fear and ring the bell so that people kneel; and we bow down: and we sing many songs of repentance and praise. And the heavenly powers serve the King of Glory with us invisibly. And all this results in such a prayerful feeling and mood, such a thirst for standing before Christ that this should be enough for a long time.
And the fast will pass, but the reverence will remain. And after Easter, other holidays will come, but the desire to pray with tears, bow down and fast will not leave the soul. Therefore, we need to deeply breathe in the mournful and healing air of Lent, so that chastity and severity, dissolved in this air, penetrate deeply into every cell of our spiritual body.
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts can, without exaggeration, be called the core or center of Lenten services. In some ancient handwritten service books it is called the “Liturgy of the Great Pentecost.” And, indeed, it is the most characteristic worship this sacred period of the year.
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, as its very name indicates, is distinguished in that on it the Holy Gifts, already consecrated before, are offered for communion. At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts there is no proskomedia and consecration of the Gifts (Eucharist). AND The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served only during the days of Great Lent on Wednesdays and Fridays, in the 5th week - on Thursday and during Holy Week - on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. However, the liturgy of presanctified gifts on the occasion of temple holidays or holidays in honor of St. the saints of God can be performed on other days of Great Lent; only on Saturday and Sunday it is never performed on the occasion of the weakening of fasting on these days.
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was established in the first times of Christianity and was celebrated by St. the apostles; but she received her real appearance from St. Gregory Dvoeslov, a Roman bishop who lived in the 6th century AD.
The need for its establishment by the apostles arose from
Wow, so as not to deprive Christians of St. Mysteries of Christ and during the days of Great Lent, when, according to the requirements of Lenten time, there is no liturgy celebrated in a solemn manner. The reverence and purity of life of the ancient Christians was so great that for them going to church for the liturgy certainly meant receiving the Holy Mysteries. Nowadays, piety among Christians has weakened so much that even during Great Lent, when there is a great opportunity for Christians to lead a good life, no one is visible who wants to begin the holy day. meal at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. There is even, especially among the common people, a strange opinion that the laity cannot partake of St. The Mysteries of Christ is an opinion based on nothing. Is it true, Infants do not receive Holy Communion. The mystery behind this liturgy is because St. the blood, which only infants partake of, is in connection with the body of Christ. But the laity, after proper preparation, after confession, are awarded St. The Mysteries of Christ and during the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts consists of Lenten 3, 6, and 9 hours, Vespers and the Liturgy proper. Lenten liturgical hours differ from ordinary ones in that, in addition to the prescribed three psalms, one kathisma is read at each hour; a distinctive troparion of each hour is read by the priest in front of the royal doors and sung three times in the choir with prostrations to the ground ; read at the end of every hour prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian: Lord and Master of my life! Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk; Grant me the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Your servant. O Lord, O King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. Amen. (see the interpretation and meaning of this prayer here)
Before the most presanctified liturgy, an ordinary vespers is held, at which, after the stichera sung on the Lord, the entrance is made with the censer, and on holidays with the Gospel, from the altar to the royal doors.
At the end of the evening entrance, two proverbs are read: one from the book of Genesis, the other from the book of Proverbs. At the end of the first paremia, the priest turns to the people in the open gates, making the cross with a censer and a burning candle, and says: the light of Christ enlightens everyone! At the same time, believers fall on their faces, as if before the Lord Himself, praying to Him to enlighten them with the light of Christ’s teaching in order to fulfill the commandments of Christ.
With the singing of may my prayer be corrected, the second part of the presanctified liturgy ends, and the liturgy of the presanctified gifts proper begins with the special litany.
Instead of the usual cherubic song, the following touching song is sung:Now the powers of heaven serve with us invisibly: behold, the King of glory enters, behold, the secret sacrifice is completed. Let us approach by faith and love, so that we may be partakers of eternal life. Alleluia (3 times).
In the midst of this song the great entrance is made. Paten with St. Lamb from the altar, through the royal doors, to St. The throne is carried by a priest at his head, he is preceded by a deacon with a censer and a candle-bearer with a burning candle. Those present fall prostrate to the ground in reverence and holy fear of St. gifts, as before the Lord Himself.
During the Great Entrance, the Holy Chalice is carried out in silent silence, everything falls silent and only the ringing of the censer can be heard, which gives a special solemnity and severity to this action.
The Great Entrance at the Presanctified Liturgy is of particular importance and significance than at the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom. During the presanctified liturgy, at this time the already consecrated gifts are transferred, the body and blood of the Lord, the perfect sacrifice, the King of glory Himself, which is why the consecration of St. there are no gifts; and during the petitionary litany, pronounced by the deacon, the Lord's Prayer is sung and St. gifts to clergy and laity.
Beyond this, the liturgy of the presanctified gifts has similarities with the liturgy of Chrysostom; Only the prayer behind the pulpit is read in a special way, applied to the time of fasting and repentance.
What do you need to know about the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts? What is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, what is its difference from the full liturgy, when is it served, how to receive communion at it, and is it possible for everyone? We tried to find answers to these and some other questions. How does the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts differ from the “ordinary” liturgy - St. John Chrysostom or St. Basil the Great? During the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the faithful are offered for communion the Holy Gifts, consecrated previously - at the previous full liturgy according to the rite of St. Basil the Great or St. John Chrysostom and preserved in a reliquary, usually on the throne or (less often) on the altar.
Following the Presanctified Liturgy:
- there is no first part of the full liturgy - proskomedia;
- the liturgy is preceded by the service of the 3rd, 6th and 9th hours with the Sequence of the Fine;
- upon the dismissal of the Fine, Vespers is celebrated, which replaces the initial part of the Liturgy of the Catechumens (its last part is also found in the Presanctified Liturgy);
- at the Liturgy of the Faithful there are no prayers and chants related to the preparation and presentation of the Holy Gifts
When is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts celebrated?
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served together with Lenten Vespers. In ancient times, they served in the evenings, abstaining from food all day.
Today in most churches the Presanctified Church is served in the morning, but some parishes also have evening services.
If you take communion in the evening, how long should the Eucharistic fast be?
Six hours according to established tradition.
On what days is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts celebrated?
On Wednesdays and Fridays of Great Lent, on Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent, on the day of remembrance of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, as well as on the first three days of Holy Week.
Exceptions:
- On the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, regardless of the day of the week.
- If the day of remembrance of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste falls on a weekend, the Liturgy of either St. Basil the Great (on Saturday) or St. John Chrysostom (on Sunday) is served.
Does everyone receive communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?
According to established tradition, those who can receive the Particle receive communion after the Presanctified One. That is, infants who receive Holy Communion are not given Holy Communion during the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
The most common answer to this question will be St. Gregory the Dvoeslov. And he won’t be entirely faithful.
In fact, there is no evidence for this: neither in Greek nor Slavic manuscripts, this rite is usually signed there with no one’s name or the names of St. are mentioned. Basil the Great, Epiphanius of Cyprus or Herman of Constantinople. In addition, in the surviving texts of St. Gregory himself there is nothing like this either. However, his works contain an indication of the rite of the Roman Church - the consecration of the Chalice through the immersion of Presanctified Bread into it.
When and why does the bell ring during the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?
The ringing of a bell marks the most important moments of the service. According to tradition, when the bell sounds, all worshipers kneel down, and when the bell rings again, they rise.
The first time during the transfer of the Holy Gifts to the altar:
The last, third part of the kathisma is read, during which the Holy Gifts are transferred from the throne to the altar. This will be marked by the ringing of a bell, after which all those gathered, noting the importance and sacredness of this moment, should kneel. After transferring the Holy Gifts to the altar, the bell rings again, which means you can already rise from your knees.
Second time:
While reading the first proverb, the priest takes a lighted candle and a censer. At the end of the reading, the priest, drawing the holy cross with a censer, says: “Wisdom, forgive!”, thereby calling for special attention and reverence, pointing to the special wisdom contained in the present moment.
Then the priest turns to those gathered and, blessing them, says: “The Light of Christ enlightens everyone!” A candle is a symbol of Christ, the Light of the world. Lighting a candle while reading the Old Testament means that all prophecies have been fulfilled in Christ. The Old Testament leads to Christ just as Lent leads to the enlightenment of the catechumens. The light of baptism, connecting the catechumens with Christ, opens their minds to understand the teachings of Christ.
According to established tradition, at this moment all those gathered kneel down, as warned by the ringing of a bell. After the words are spoken by the priest, the bell rings as a reminder that one can rise from one's knees.
Priest Maxim Ustimenko, cleric of the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg, answers questions from viewers. Broadcast from St. Petersburg.
—When is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts celebrated?
— The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated exclusively on the days of Holy Pentecost and the first three days of Holy Week. During Great Lent it is served on Wednesday and Friday. During Holy Week it is served on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Additionally, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts can be served on the days of the polyeleos saints, for example, if the memory of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste falls on the weekdays, the first and second Finding of the Head of John the Baptist. Here in St. Petersburg there is an additional service in memory of St. Seraphim Vyritsky. If church holidays fall on weekdays, then the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is also celebrated. Historically, it was served on Wednesday and Friday during Cheese Week. Then this went out of practice, so these days we do not have Liturgy, although Lent has not officially begun yet.
—Please tell us about the very name “Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.”
— Liturgy translated from Greek means “common cause.” It is expected that everyone who comes to the temple will participate in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. But since during the weekdays of Great Lent the Eucharistic canon itself is not supposed to be celebrated, they partake of the Gifts consecrated earlier at the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. An exception is the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when the full Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. The presanctified gifts are kept from Sunday on the holy altar. According to the number of liturgies that will be served during the week, the Lambs are prepared and consecrated, from which all the faithful then receive communion.
Historically, we associate this Liturgy with the personality of St. Gregory the Great, as he is called in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, and in the Western - Pope Gregory the Great. This Liturgy has existed since ancient times, this was due to the fact that the Holy Gifts were left for those who could not be present in the temple, or during times of persecution for those who took refuge in the catacombs. These Gifts were preserved and distributed by deacons or deaconesses among believers who were unable to attend the service; sometimes this was entrusted even to the laity themselves. This is how the tradition of preserving the Gifts on the throne arose. But for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the Gifts are left after the last liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in order to receive communion with them on weekdays.
Why is the full Liturgy not celebrated during the weekdays of Great Lent? The word Liturgy itself means “common work,” that is, when the faithful enter into communion with the risen Christ and with each other. The Eucharist is always a great holiday, Easter joy. But during the days of Great Lent, Christians voluntarily relegate themselves to the category of penitents. Since the penitents were equated with the catechumens, who were not present at the Liturgy of the Faithful and did not receive communion, they could only be present at the Liturgy of the word, when the Word of God is read and a sermon is preached. During the days of Great Lent, all Christians were equated with penitents and deprived themselves of the opportunity to offer anaphora. Anaphora is the work of the entire Church, from the primate to the laity, this is the moment of the offering of the Holy Gifts at the Liturgy. But in order not to deprive themselves of communion with the Lord, on Wednesday and Friday the faithful partake of the Presanctified Gifts, which serves as great joy and reinforcement of spiritual strength. That is why our fast is strict from Monday to Wednesday, when, according to the rules, it is allowed to eat boiled vegetables in the evening. On Thursday and Friday evenings, the charter allows you to drink a little wine. On Wednesday and Friday, people received communion and then started eating. The eating of this meal was preceded by the evening Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. It was served at approximately 2 p.m. Now in our practice we perform Vespers at 5-6 p.m., and on the weekdays of Great Lent it happens that all services are combined: the hours, the visual services, and Vespers. They are performed in the morning, and on Monday matins are also added. The only time in modern tradition that the memory of the service of Vespers at 2 p.m. has been preserved is the service of taking out the Shroud.
— In the Church of the Prophet Elijah on Porokhov, where I have the honor to serve, two Liturgies of the Presanctified Gifts are celebrated: in the morning and in the evening. People after work can come and receive communion. Tell us about the practice of preparing for the evening Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?
— In St. Petersburg, the tradition of serving the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the evening began with the suggestion of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov). Then in the Trinity Cathedral, with the exception of the First Week of Great Lent, when in the evenings the Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete was supposed to be read, it was customary to serve two Liturgies: in the morning and in the evening. Vladyka Nikodim himself served it and took communion himself.
The question of the Evening Liturgy was first raised in 1968 in the Church Abroad, in particular by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Christians these days work and cannot come to church on weekday mornings. And the service is very beautiful, touching, repentant in nature, with a lot of prostrations. At the same time, it is a great joy to approach the Eucharistic cup and unite with the Lord. Therefore, from then on it was allowed to celebrate this Liturgy in the evening. If possible, those who can fully endure from midnight until the moment of the Eucharist in the evening are advised not to eat or drink. Of course, this will be commendable, but the Church took into account issues of economy. For those who cannot fast for that amount of time, the minimum fast is six hours. That is, after about noon it is advisable not to eat or drink. Anyone who cannot refuse to drink should not drink for at least 3 hours. And those people who absolutely cannot fast, for example, diabetics, can eat food. For them, the Eucharistic fast is canceled.
—How are the Gifts prepared for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?
- The gifts are the holy Lamb. It is prepared in the same way as at an ordinary Liturgy: it is cut out of the prosphora, its right side is pierced in memory of the piercing of Christ’s side, from which blood and water flowed. Often several Lambs are made. Cooked Lambs - removed parts of the prosphora with a cross and the inscription “Jesus Christ Nike”. Three Lambs for the full liturgy and two or more for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts are consecrated at the full Divine Liturgy. The lambs that are left to serve the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts are given the Eucharistic Blood of Christ to drink. If there are tabernacles adapted for this, then the Gifts are stored in them for a week. If not, then a paten is taken in the likeness of the tabernacle, which is covered with a shroud and a cap so that the Gifts do not gather dust and so that, God forbid, they are not spoiled by rodents. There may be such cases. At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, one Lamb is taken from there, and the Liturgy is served on it, the clergy at the altar and the faithful who wish to approach the Holy Chalice receive communion from it.
— Question from a TV viewer: “What to do if, due to a misunderstanding, greeting notes were also read at the funeral litany. And are the notes read at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?”
— Traditionally, the notes on it are read, although, since the anaphora is not performed, the particles are not taken out - there is no proskomedia in its entirety. Reading notes does not carry the same meaning that it does at full Liturgies. As for the mistake of reading notes on health at a funeral litany, I understand the confusion of a believer, but there is no need to treat church prayer as a magical act. This is annoying and unpleasant, but God has no dead: “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”. With God, everyone is alive, so this is nothing more than a misunderstanding, an unfortunate mistake. There is no point or place to show such concern. For the clergyman and the one who submitted these notes, this is a reason to be more attentive.
— The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is sometimes called “vespers with communion,” without using the word “Liturgy.” What causes this?
— Most likely, because the Liturgy presupposes anaphora. Anaphora is the Eucharistic canon, when the bread and wine in the chalice, by the power of prayer of the entire Church, are added to the true Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, from which we partake. There is no anaphora at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, so it is more of a Eucharistic Vespers. Before singing “Let my prayer be corrected” with genuflections, this is Vespers in full, then the transition to a short Liturgy containing the Great Entrance, litany, a prayer asking for worthy communion of the Body and Blood of Christ and the singing of the prayer “Our Father.” Before communion, Christians even from the very first centuries read the Lord's Prayer.
—Many are confused by the mention of Pope Gregory the Great or Dvoeslov.
— The Roman throne is very ancient. It goes back to the time of the Apostle Peter. The pontificate of Pope Gregory Dvoeslov fell on 590-604 years after the Nativity of Christ. He was very well acquainted with the Byzantine liturgical tradition. In those days, friction, unfortunately, already existed between the Orthodox East and the Latin West. But the Church in those days was united; a schism of Churches had not yet occurred. It is assumed that Saint Gregory brought the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts to the West from the East. Researchers suggest that it existed before Pope Gregory Dvoeslov. He has an essay called “Dialogues” in Greek and is a conversation from the life of Italian fathers and monks in the form of questions and answers. The answerer is Gregory the Great himself, and the students ask the questions. The title of the work “Dialogues” could not be translated into Slavic, so they translated “Dvoeslog”. In the Latin West this Liturgy exists to this day. Catholics celebrate Mass every day in full rite during Lent. And on Good Friday, when we do not have Liturgy and Communion at all (with rare exceptions if a person dies), on this day at the Liturgy the words of the prophecies are read, the apostle, the Gospel about the suffering of Christ, the rite of veneration of the Cross is performed and after that the Communion of the Presanctified Gifts. This is the only exception when this Liturgy is served in the Latin West, although Catholics themselves do not know such a term. They also don’t know the name of Pope Gregory Dvoeslov; they remember him as Gregory the Great.
— A call from a TV viewer from Surgut: “What is “communion of condemnation”? Should I confess before or after the unction?”
— The Apostle Paul speaks about “communion of condemnation” in his Epistle to the Corinthians: « For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord» . This concerns the fact that a person must internally examine his conscience before communion. The Russian Church has developed a tradition of confessing before participating in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We will not say how connected the Liturgy is with the Sacrament of Confession, because it is not connected in any way: this connection arose in the Russian Orthodox Church and became traditional. The most important thing is that you cannot begin the Sacrament of the Eucharist if you have a grudge against someone, had a quarrel with someone, and have no inner peace of mind. You must first go to make peace with your neighbor. Liturgy is the offering of a bloodless sacrifice. To participate in this sacrifice, it is necessary to reconcile, we need heartfelt, inner, spiritual peace, when we do not have any malice or resentment in our hearts against anyone. All this must be abandoned, only then can we approach the Holy Chalice and hope that this communion is salutary and will not be condemned. Of course, it is necessary to prepare very carefully before proceeding to the Sacrament, but when the priest reads the prayer of the Cherubic Song, in which he prays not on behalf of the community that is in the temple, but on his own behalf, he says: “No one is worthy.” There are no worthy people; it is only through the great mercy, goodness and love of God that we dare to approach the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist. Daring, we hope that Communion serves us for salvation and eternal life.
We now have a synodal document that says that all the faithful who have reached the age of majority can begin unction during the days of Great Lent, since sin is considered by the Church as a disease. There is still debate as to whether only the sick can participate in the unction. In my opinion, the faithful can begin, those who regularly confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. It is good if before the unction a person confesses, receives communion, participates in the Sacrament of Unction, and after it once again partakes of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. But this issue needs to be discussed with your confessor.
—What is the situation with the communion of infants at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?
— This question concerns not only practical aspects, but also theological and historical aspects: how the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was formed, and in what form it has come down to us. The Greek, Bulgarian and Serbian Churches give Holy Communion to infants. In the Russian tradition, we do not give communion to those infants who are not able to partake of the Body of Christ. Infants from 2-3 years of age who calmly receive communion with a particle have the opportunity to receive communion at this Liturgy. This was born from the fact that in the 17th century, corrections of the Liturgy penetrated into Russian service books. Latin scholastic theology began to gradually penetrate Russian theology: first to Kyiv, then to Moscow. For the first time it appears in Russian service books under Patriarch Joachim, and by the end of the 17th century it was firmly established. This was due to the Eucharistic disputes between the Latin West and the Orthodox East. For Catholics, after the schism of the Churches, at the Liturgy, bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ after uttering the words: “Come, eat, this is My Body.” Many people say that they do not have an epiclesis, but in fact it precedes the establishing words. Catholics clearly say that after the establishing words, the bread becomes the Body of Christ, and the wine becomes the Blood. We are talking about the fact that the Body and Blood of Christ are transubstantiated after the utterance of the epiclesis, that is, the invocation of the Holy Spirit, and we all worship, and in the temple at this time the choir sings: “We sing to you.” It is known that until approximately the 13th century, the view of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and the Holy Gifts was completely different than in the Byzantine East. Firstly, there is a mention that the Presanctified Liturgy is performed for the sake of the consecration of the Holy Chalice. That is, the Cup was consecrated by the fact that a particle of the holy Body of Christ was put into it and the Blood of Christ was in it. It is interesting that until this same time the Lamb was not drunk with Blood at the full Liturgy, but was preserved on the throne in dry form in tabernacles, and then was broken and consecrated. At the same time, the same words were pronounced when a particle of the Body of Christ was placed into the holy chalice. But then, following the example of how reserve Gifts are prepared for the whole year for the sick at home, this Lamb began to drink Blood. Gradually, with the penetration of the opinion that the Gifts become Body and Blood, and establishing words must be pronounced, it began to be believed that it was necessary to water the Lamb with Blood. Although even in the Russian Church until the 17th century, the Holy Gifts were not always soldered. Then, under the influence of the idea that only with establishing words can the wine in the Cup be transformed into Blood, they began to drink the Lamb. The insertion of the Blood-drinking Body of Christ into a cup of wine is a sacred thing, but not the Blood of the Savior itself. In connection with this, the Russian Church has developed a tradition of not giving communion to infants.
Some churches in St. Petersburg have a different approach: they preserve the Holy Blood in the Chalice. Therefore, babies are given communion there after the Liturgy, but this is an exception. I myself recently encountered this situation: a woman came into our cathedral and asked if she could receive communion. I said that maybe since she was preparing, confessing, saying prayers. She said that she was ready, but in the Stavropol Territory the priest does not allow communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and says that only sick and infirm people can receive communion at it. Of course, this is not an entirely correct practice, although it exists. Saint John of Kronstadt said that a shepherd who does not give communion to the laity at the Liturgy is likened to a shepherd who shepherds himself. This Liturgy is served for all the faithful. All the faithful who have examined their conscience and prepared themselves have the right to participate and receive communion. And this is not an obligation, just as a pastor receives communion not out of obligation, but a privilege. We are one Body of Christ, so we all partake together.
—Question from a TV viewer in St. Petersburg: “How should one prepare for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?”
— You need to prepare in the same way as for the full Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: You read prayers, fast, confess and receive communion on an empty stomach. The only exception is that the troparion to St. Gregory the Dvoeslov is included in the prayers of thanksgiving.
—Question from Deacon Vladimir from Spain: “What is the practice of censing at “Now the Powers of Heaven” in your church?
— First, the deacon censes the altar three times, then goes to the altar and censes three times three times, then returns to the primate and censes him three times. Next, the deacon stands up, and together with the priest they read aloud, “Now the powers of Heaven serve with us invisibly.” When the Gifts are transferred from the altar to the holy altar, the priest stops at the Royal Doors and says in an undertone, “Let us approach by faith and love.” This is the practice of ministry in St. Petersburg. There is also a deacon's missal edited by priest Andrei Mazur, which describes the practice of censing.
—Question from a TV viewer: “How to remember those who have died on Bright Week?”
— There is an order of serving the Liturgy according to the order of Bright Week. On the day of remembrance of a newly deceased relative, you can submit a note at the church for a proskomedia, which is where the deceased are remembered at this time. After the Liturgy, you can meet with your relatives, visit the cemetery, greet the deceased with the words “Christ is Risen!” and remember him on the day of Radonitsa, when the requiem for the Easter rite is celebrated. The most important thing is that on Memorial Day, be sure to try to come and remember the deceased in the temple. The deceased is one who fell asleep before the time of the second coming of Christ, and he fell asleep in order to rise from the dead. God has no dead, everyone is alive, and man is already tasting Easter joy in heaven, so we pray for the forgiveness of his sins and believe that the Lord will raise him from the dust.
— A call from a TV viewer from St. Petersburg: “When I came to church, I realized that I was unworthy to receive communion, but I prepared for confession, stood in line, and the priest left. I was confused and received communion without confession. I took communion for the first time in my life, but with the faith that Jesus is God. Now I feel uneasy.”
“I want to say that you need to put aside your embarrassment.” We must believe and dare, come with boldness to the Holy Eucharist. The clergy does not confess before every Liturgy, but as necessary with their confessor. Of course, if you have never confessed, you need to come to church and arrange an individual confession so that you can calmly confess all your sins. Try to regularly receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ. There is no worthy person - we are all unworthy, but we dare by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We follow Christ and unite with Him so that He will always be with us. Come to the Transfiguration Cathedral, I will be glad to respond to help you and any person. You are welcome to the Transfiguration Cathedral; I will always be glad to see you, pray with you, serve with you.
— Question from a TV viewer: “In the Old Testament it is written: Jehovah God, God of Hosts, God of Baal. Is our God that we believe in Jehovah God?”
— In the Old Testament there is the concept of the names of God. In the Hebrew Bible they are spoken in Hebrew. The Arabic word "Allah" is similar to the Hebrew word. God Baal is not a biblical God, but a pagan god worshiped by the Syro-Phoenicians. The prophets fought against this cult during the period of division into the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel. The famous prophet of God Elijah fought against the cult of Baal and Ashtoreth. There are a lot of names of God in the Old Testament. The names "Jehovah" or "Yahweh" are attempts to read the sacred Hebrew letters. This is the name of the One true God of Israel, which He revealed to the prophet Moses on Mount Sinai. God's commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” related to this name. There were no vowels in the Hebrew alphabet and they began to put dots and dashes, which made it possible to vocalize and read vowel sounds that are not in the Hebrew alphabet. The tradition of reading this name was lost after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. Only the high priest could pronounce the sacred name of God; all other Israelis were not allowed to pronounce it, since a pagan could accidentally hear it. The pagans practiced cults and could magically use the name of God. The reading of these four sacred letters has been lost. In the 19th century, there was an attempt to decipher this name: a German scientist suggested that its correct reading was “Jehovah.” The vowels from "Adonai" were substituted into the tetragram. So this is nothing more than an attempt. When Jews read the synodal service, when they encountered the name of God in the text, they either remained silent and bowed their heads, or replaced it with “Adonai the Lord.” For us, it is not so important what the name sounded like in the Old Testament: we call on God in the name of Jesus Christ, and through Him we receive salvation.
—When and how best to begin the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, since the service is very long?
- As far as possible. Lent is a special time when we fast physically, spiritually, and abstain from our thoughts and feelings. It is necessary to approach the Sacrament of the Eucharist as often as possible. All the faithful have the right to attend both the full Liturgy and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at least once a week, and for those who have the opportunity, then two or three times. It will be very godly. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is not very long: it begins with the cry “Blessed is the Kingdom” and lasts for about an hour. But in many places before the Liturgy all the hours and pictures are read, and it becomes quite long. Everyone needs to find out what time the service begins in your church, prepare, come and begin the Sacrament of Communion.
Transcript: Natalya Maslova
How does the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts differ from the “ordinary” liturgy - St. John Chrysostom or St. Basil the Great?
During the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the faithful are offered for communion the Holy Gifts, consecrated previously - at the previous full liturgy according to the rite of St. Basil the Great or St. John Chrysostom and preserved in a reliquary, usually on the throne or (less often) on the altar.
In following the Presanctified Liturgy::
- there is no first part of the full liturgy - proskomedia;
- the liturgy is preceded by the service of the 3rd, 6th and 9th hours with the Sequence of the Fine;
- upon the dismissal of the Fine, Vespers is celebrated, which replaces the initial part of the Liturgy of the Catechumens (its last part is also found in the Presanctified Liturgy);
- at the Liturgy of the Faithful there are no prayers and chants related to the preparation and presentation of the Holy Gifts
When is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts celebrated?
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served together with Lenten Vespers. In ancient times, they served in the evenings, abstaining from food all day.
Today in most churches the Presanctified Church is served in the morning, but some parishes also have evening services.
In Moscow, in the evenings they serve in the Sretensky Monastery, in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Khokhly, in the Church of the All-Merciful Savior in Mitino, in the Church of All Saints on Sokol and others.
If you take communion in the evening, how long should the Eucharistic fast be?
Six hours according to established tradition.
On what days is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts celebrated?
On Wednesdays and Fridays of Great Lent, on the feast of the First and Second Finding of the Head of John the Baptist (March 9, new style), on Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent (April 14, 2016), on the day of remembrance of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, as well as on the first three day of Holy Week.
Exceptions:
- On the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, regardless of the day of the week.
- If the discovery of the head of John the Baptist and the day of remembrance of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste fall on a weekend, the liturgy of either St. John Chrysostom (on Saturday) or St. Basil the Great (on Sunday) is served.
Does everyone receive communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?
According to the tradition established in the Russian Orthodox Church, those who can receive the Particle receive Communion after the Presanctified One. That is, infants who receive Holy Communion are not given Holy Communion during the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
The most common answer to this question will be St. Gregory the Dvoeslov. And he won’t be entirely faithful.
In fact, there is no evidence for this: neither in Greek nor Slavic manuscripts, this rite is usually signed there with no one’s name or the names of St. are mentioned. Basil the Great, Epiphanius of Cyprus or Herman of Constantinople. In addition, in the surviving texts of St. Gregory himself there is nothing like this either. However, his works contain an indication of the rite of the Roman Church - the consecration of the Chalice through the immersion of Presanctified Bread into it.
When and why does the bell ring during the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?
The ringing of a bell marks the most important moments of the service. According to tradition, when the bell sounds, all worshipers kneel down, and when the bell rings again, they rise.
The first time during the transfer of the Holy Gifts to the altar:
The last, third part of the kathisma is read, during which the Holy Gifts are transferred from the throne to the altar. This will be marked by the ringing of a bell, after which all those gathered, noting the importance and sacredness of this moment, should kneel. After transferring the Holy Gifts to the altar, the bell rings again, which means you can already rise from your knees.
Second time:
While reading the first proverb, the priest takes a lighted candle and a censer. At the end of the reading, the priest, drawing the holy cross with a censer, says: “Wisdom, forgive!”, thereby calling for special attention and reverence, pointing to the special wisdom contained in the present moment.
Then the priest turns to those gathered and, blessing them, says: “The Light of Christ enlightens everyone!” A candle is a symbol of Christ, the Light of the world. Lighting a candle while reading the Old Testament means that all prophecies have been fulfilled in Christ. The Old Testament leads to Christ just as Lent leads to the enlightenment of the catechumens. The light of baptism, connecting the catechumens with Christ, opens their minds to understand the teachings of Christ.
According to established tradition, at this moment all those gathered kneel down, as warned by the ringing of a bell. After the words are spoken by the priest, the bell rings as a reminder that one can rise from one's knees.
Based on materials from Pravmir
Christians who have only recently begun the path to God may not understand the various names. For example, parishioners often ask: “What is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts? What secret meaning does it carry? How is it carried out?
The basic concept of such worship
When the time of Lent comes before Easter, namely on the days of the Holy Pentecost, a special liturgy is held. It takes place regularly on Fridays and Wednesdays. This sacred action takes place on the days of the strictest abstinence in the evening.
Following church laws, these days you should completely refuse to eat until the first star appears. And only in the evening every true Christian, like a child, rejoices at this holy communion. But these days, this sacrament is no longer performed only in the evening hours. In almost all churches, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is held in the morning or afternoon.
It differs from everyday liturgy in that during the service the gifts (sacrifice) are prepared the day before. Before the service begins, they are blessed and laid out for further communion.
This liturgy began to be celebrated from the very first centuries of the development of Christianity. Previously, Orthodox Christians received communion very often, on almost any weekday. But since this sacrament is very solemn, performing it during Lent was considered not a very good action. Therefore, it was decided that during the days of strict fasting, services would be held with gifts that had been consecrated in advance.
All this was enshrined in writing by Pope Gregory Dvoeslov back in the 6th century. This was also due to the fact that some Orthodox Christians could not attend services, and consecrated gifts were left especially for them on the steps of the church, or deacons carried these offerings to the homes of the laity.
The tradition of celebrating the liturgy in the evening appeared in 1968. Then working people asked to hold this joyful service in the evening, since before that they were busy at work. The church took these requests into account and began to hold the sacrament in the evening hours.
The beginning of the liturgy is the same as with any other sacrament. It begins with the words of His Holiness: “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit...” This is the hope of spiritual expectation. The service then proceeds in this order:
Anyone who has experienced this mesmerizing ritual at least once will no longer ask the question, “What is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?”
