In this article I have begun to take us through the Divine Liturgy, commenting on each section. The Liturgy begins with the Great Incensation, that is welcoming all, both those present and the saints whose images (icons) we have in … Continue reading
Category Archives: Learning About the Practices of Our Religion
The ritual (i.e., sequence of actions) which is a part of the Divine Liturgy, is meant to draw us into the entire mystery of God’s incarnation as a human in the Person of Jesus and the impact that this action … Continue reading
As I thought about the Easter mystery and our Divine Liturgy, it dawned on me that each Divine Liturgy is truly an experience of the Risen Christ since He literally comes into our presence in the mystery of the Eucharist … Continue reading
Think about the worship of our Church during the Easter period. She has us declare over and over again that Christ IS Risen! In fact, it seems that our Church tells us that we cannot declare this belief too often! … Continue reading
We do well to think about how our Church observes the Great and Holy Week. With the exception of Great and Holy Thursday, when we celebrate the Institution of the Eucharist, and the Great Day (Easter) itself, the services used … Continue reading
As I shared in the last installment of this article, the Liturgy of Basil the Great, which is the prescribed liturgy of the Great Fast, was the result of Basil shortening an existing Liturgy that was used in Jerusalem. Over … Continue reading
According to our tradition, there is, as I have shared with you, no celebration of the Eucharist on fasting days because the celebration is one continuous movement of joy. Think about this. In our Church every weekend celebrates the Resurrection … Continue reading
As I have shared in this article, Holy Communion in the Eastern Church is still the same coming and presence, the same joy and burning of heart, the same transrational yet absolute knowledge that the Risen Lord makes Himself known … Continue reading
I will, because of the Great Fast, temporarily discontinue my thoughts on the Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom and begin sharing thoughts about the two regular worship services we use during this time, namely the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts … Continue reading
During the past several weeks, I have been sharing thoughts about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We should keep this in mind when we refer to the Eucharist: It was not until the 16th century of the … Continue reading