Christianity, like any other established and established religion, has a large number of rites. They allow the flock to feel themselves part of something important and strive for it with all their thoughts and deeds. Divine services and rites in Orthodoxy and Catholicism have much in common, but there are many differences between them. Usually, for beginners who have just come to God, they do not immediately become noticeable, since churching is a long process, during which the meaning of all the sacraments and rituals is gradually revealed. However, even those parishioners who consider attending divine services to be an invariable part of their lives, cannot always explain their meaning, tell about the meaning and list the order. The liturgy of the catechumens is a church service that seems to be one of the most difficult for the Orthodox to understand. Many cannot even tell when it begins and how it ends. But in fact, the liturgy of the catechumens is an important part of the collective service of God in Christianity and has its own history of formation, which turns us back to the times when the followers of religion were subjected to mass persecution. Today we will talk in detail about this liturgy and separately highlight all its stages.
Liturgy: turn to terminology
In order to begin to tell readers directly about the liturgy of the catechumens, it is important to have some idea of Orthodox terminology. First of all, let’s look at what exactly this service is.
The word "liturgy" came to us from the Greek language. Translated, it means "common cause", which perfectly characterizes the essence of this action. Since the time when Christianity was in its infancy, worship services were collective. Initially, this was the only opportunity to praise the Creator and gain knowledge of Christianity.
Today, many people also participate in the liturgy. They can be divided into four categories:
- service clergyman;
- deacons;
- choristers;
- parishioners.
The actions of all participants in the service are usually quite coherent and subject to certain rules. At the same time, many parishioners consider themselves only listeners of prayer, which is fundamentally wrong attitude to the liturgy. After all, ordinary people who came to the temple cannot be passive spectators of everything that happens at the altar. They are directly involved in everything. And especially prayer. Indeed, in Christianity, collective prayer is endowed with special power. At such services, one needs to turn to God not only with his problems and concerns, but also to delve into the words of the priest in order to turn his heart to the Creator in a single impulse. At such moments, a true blessing descends upon all worshipers.
It was previously believed that without such prayers it is impossible to complete the sacrament of communion, since bread and wine will not turn into the blood and body of Christ. However, to this day, in many churches the same attitude remains for the liturgy of those announced. In part, it can be considered true, but nevertheless, this worship has another meaning. First of all, it must be perceived as an important part of the Great Liturgy, which can be both everyday and festive.
Short description
When we talk about worship in Orthodoxy, then by almost a hundred percent we mean the Byzantine rite. It arose almost at the dawn of Christianity and consists of several parts, one of which is the liturgy of the announced.
The main goal of the Byzantine rite is the preparation of the believer for communion. He must once again recall all the basics of Christianity, moments from the earthly life of Christ and his sufferings during the crucifixion. The church for a limited time interval explains to the parishioners why God sent his Son to the people and explains the importance of the sacraments. It is in this way that we can briefly describe the essence of the liturgy of the announced.
But why is it called so? This question is of interest to almost everyone who has recently come to God and is only getting acquainted with most rites. The answer to it is extremely simple. The service, which is commonly called the "liturgy", is a single action. But it consists of several parts. The most important and impressive in time are just the liturgy of the announced and the liturgy of the faithful. Names were given to them in ancient times, and they are associated with the sacrament of communion.
The fact is that a certain category of parishioners does not have the right to take part in this rite. This group includes people who are weaned from the sacrament, repenting for the commission of sins, and those who are only preparing for baptism. They may be present at the entire service, except for its final stage. At this time, they must go beyond the temple. The priest’s announcement is the announcement of the priesthood, therefore the part of the service available to the above-mentioned category of people was called the “liturgy of the announced”.
The meaning of the liturgy
Today, this part of the service is underestimated by many Orthodox, they do not understand its importance and perceive it as a stage preceding the sacrament. However, in Ancient Russia, all church sacraments were taken very seriously. An outsider who did not go through a long preparatory stage simply could not become a Christian. The time interval from the will of a person to accept Orthodoxy to the sacrament itself could stretch for years. This was especially characteristic of the Old Believers, but even in an ordinary church a person went through several months of training and only then received the right to become a Christian. The process of acquaintance with religion without fail included a visit to the main services as an active participant throughout the time allotted by the spiritual mentor for teaching time.
The liturgy of the catechumens was the only opportunity to attend the service preceding the sacrament. After being baptized, the believer received the full right to defend the service completely and not to leave the church after the announcement.
It is interesting that priests themselves always gladly tell the parishioners about the significance of the liturgy from the point of view of the church. They say that each of its stages is symbolic of certain events. For example, the first words of worship are a kind of angelic song proclaiming to humanity the birth of the Son of God. Mandatory singing makes reference to Christ's sermons, which he gave at different times. The small entrance can be correlated with the journey of Jesus through Palestine and the preaching in all cities and villages of the true faith. The further stages of the liturgy should remind people that one should pray not only for loved ones, but also for those who did not find the grace of eternal life without accepting the Supreme God as their only god. This category needs guidance and a way, which means that prayer can become a guiding light for them.
In Constantinople and other cities in ancient times, liturgies were held very magnificently. They were accompanied by a procession with mass sermons. Usually, such services were usually held as gratitude for getting rid of the epidemic, in honor of the end of the war, or as a petition for protection in difficult times. In ancient times, the liturgy of the catechumens did not always take place in the church. Quite often, after a procession to the church door, people remained behind them and listened to the service from the street. They were considered direct participants in the action, despite their location. After the announcement, the doors of the temple were closed, and only those who had the legal right to partake of the sacrament in the sacrament of communion were inside.
Stages of the liturgy
In Orthodoxy, there is a special science of worship - liturgy. The liturgy of the catechumens, according to its canons, consists of several parts. Each has its own meaning and is subject to strict sequence. We will outline all stages of the service in a simplified and concise version:
- Proskomidia. To be as precise as possible, this is not the liturgy itself, but its vestibule. At this stage, a kind of sacrifice is made of bread and wine, which will then be used for communion of parishioners.
- Great litany. The litanies are an important part of all church services and represent a list of petitions to the Lord.
- Antiphons. This term hides the chants that choristers should say. In antiquity, this was done through two choirs located opposite each other.
- Anthem.
- Little lithenia.
- Singing.
- Small entrance.
- An explanation of the Christian faith. This process involves reading the gospel.
- Four litanies going one after another: pure, about the dead, about the entry of the announced and about the exit of the announced.
For beginners, all of the above steps may seem incomprehensible, and the service itself may be too long. How much the liturgy lasts for a long time can’t be answered for sure. Despite the fact that all its parts are subject to a strict order and are clearly regulated, each clergyman puts all his soul and faith in God into it. Therefore, serious differences in the time of service to the Almighty are possible.
The most common questions regarding the liturgy
Very often, parishioners who have just embarked on the path of faith are embarrassed to ask questions about worship. As a result, they lose interest in these important actions and sometimes skip significant steps that would make them stronger and stronger in spirit in the future.
Often interest is caused by which liturgy is more important - celebratory or daily. There can be no two answers on this topic. In Orthodoxy, any appeal to God is an important and significant action. And taking part in the common prayer, which is, in a sense, the liturgy, gives a person spiritual strength and strengthens his faith. Therefore, be sure to take the time and take part in this action, which is very important for every Christian. At the same time, it is not necessary to divide the liturgy among themselves in importance.
When it comes to churched people who have recently come to the bosom of the church, they are characterized by a mistake related to dividing one service into parts by degree of importance. The liturgy of the catechumens and the liturgy of the faithful are considered different under this approach. The first baptized people are perceived as optional for the presence. And the second, after which the communion takes place, is considered extremely important. Priests strongly oppose such an approach to serving God. They argue that the liturgy of the catechumens is a preparatory stage for the sacrament, and therefore it is by no means necessary to miss it.
In order to make it easier for readers to understand the main essence of the liturgy and to take a conscious part in it, we will give some clarifications on its most important stages.
The beginning of the liturgy
After the prosquidium, the priest and deacon begin to prepare the parishioners for the sacrament of communion. The first words of the liturgy are prayers for the calling of the Holy Spirit. They are pronounced by the priest and deacon in turn. They are echoed by the choristers. The flock usually repeats only the last words of the text, representing a certain seal, confirming and reinforcing what was said.
It is believed that during the liturgy the Lord himself directs everything that happens. And the participants in the action are his assistants. Moreover, the status of a person is unimportant - priests and ordinary parishioners are equal before God.
Next comes the turn of the great litany. It should be held only in a benevolent mood, so the priest begins it with a prayer designed to inspire peace in the hearts of parishioners. In Christianity, it is strictly forbidden to offer any sacrifices to the Lord, including prayer, being in an angry or irritated state.
Prayer is read in several stages, each includes specific petitions. In the process, the priest covers almost all spheres of human life, special emphasis is placed on spiritual insight. It also begs mercy on all worshipers and the church itself. In addition to the points already listed, an application for blessing is considered important. It is during the liturgy that the grace of God comes down to all who take part in it.
Antiphons
Singing is an integral part of serving the Lord. But it has some differences depending on what kind of service is being conducted. During the liturgy, considerable attention is paid to antiphons. They are psalms singing in whole or in groups of several verses. A distinctive feature of antiphons from other chants is the manner in which they are performed. Both choruses should sing psalms alternately.
This creates a special atmosphere that fills the temple with the glorification of God. Antiphones consist entirely of glorifying texts, and when singing comes from all sides, a special kindness descends on the worshipers, filling their hearts and souls with love for the Lord.
Interestingly, the antiphons were originally independent chants. They were often performed by parishioners going to the temple. Then they began to be used during religious processions before the liturgy.
And only over time did they become a full part of the service. Today it is quite difficult to imagine a liturgy without these praises, alternating with prayer.
Just note that the choir sings several antiphons. They are combined with a small litany and the prayer of a clergyman. When the first antiphon is sung, the church minister reads a prayer for the protection of all Orthodox, and in particular those who belong to the parishioners of this church. In parallel, a small litany is read, to the words of which all those present in a single impulse join.
The second antiphon is completely dedicated to the Son of God. The chants tell how the divine and human principles merged in Jesus Christ, which allowed him to love all people without exception and give his life for them. In parallel, the priest reads a prayer for the granting of eternal life and blessings. Immediately after it, another small litany is pronounced.
The third antiphon is dedicated to the commandments of God. The Lord is glorified in chants, who wisely judged by giving people a set of rules according to which they can live righteously. Usually at this stage there is a small input.
Small input: description and meaning
Even in the process of the performance of the psalms by the choir, the clergyman enters the altar. A few minutes later he leaves from there with the gospel and goes around all those present. At the same time, a prayer is being read, to which parishioners also join. All actions taken together are aimed at glorifying the deeds of the Lord.
Interestingly, the small entrance has two meanings - spiritual and practical. The second has come to us from the time when religion was just passing the stage of formation. The fact is that the Gospel is a very valuable book, which not all ordinary people could have. Even the church often received it as a priceless gift from a wealthy parishioner. The book was kept in a certain place and often not in the temple. This could save her from theft in the event of the sack of the church by enemies. Therefore, during the liturgy, the gospel was solemnly brought into the temple for reading in front of all those gathered.
Also, the small entrance has spiritual or symbolic meaning. It is believed that he portrays the appearance of the church as such for the glorification of the Lord.
Reading texts
After the antiphons, the liturgy continues with the reading of troparia, kondakas, and scripture texts. All this is selected in accordance with the day on which the service takes place.
Final litany
At the end of the liturgy, the clergyman reads several litanies. Purely dedicated to prayers for the heads of the Orthodox Church. The next one is the memorial, dedicated to the commemoration of all Orthodox who have left this world. However, it should be borne in mind that it is skipped on Sundays and holidays. The final stage of this liturgy is the litany of the announced. During its reading, explanations are given to the sacrament of baptism and the meaning of preparation for it. After the end of the text, the clergyman demands that the catechumens leave the temple. Thus, the liturgy for them ends.
"Liturgy of the Announced" by Alexei Rybnikov
In recent years, interest in the Orthodox Church among people has increased significantly. Temples are reborn in cities and villages, people are baptized and married, and artists even stage performances on the theme of Christianity.
Back in the nineties of the last century, the staging in the theater of Alexei Rybnikov - "The Liturgy of the Announced" - made a lot of noise.She combined the divine and the ordinary in herself, thereby proving that the church is inseparable from people. Today, based on the production, a film was created that is no less interesting and unusual than a performance.