Church services are not only beautiful, but also filled with high meaning. Each rite has its own meaning, through the understanding of which believers touch God. Today we’ll talk about the mass. She is rightly considered the main of all the services of the daily circle. So what is this - mass?
A bit of history
Lunch is the colloquial name for the Divine Liturgy. In Russia, it is firmly in use. The reason for this name is quite simple: the service takes place before noon, in the morning. The Greek name "liturgy" in translation means "joint business." Believers gather in the temple to jointly praise God and take part in the Sacrament of Communion.
It was established at the behest of Jesus Christ himself. Before his death, he gathered his disciples to Vespers, where he gave them bread, as a symbol of his body, and wine, a type of the Savior's blood. His disciples supplemented the rite with prayers, reading the Bible. For a long time, the order of the liturgy was transmitted orally in its original form. Only in the IV century it was recorded by Vasily the Great. Later, John Chrysostom slightly reduced his prayers, since not all parishioners could withstand a long service.
Proskomidia
So called the first part of the mass. During it, wine and bread are prepared for subsequent Communion, and the souls of the living and deceased Christians are also commemorated. To conduct it, parishioners pre-submit notes with the names of loved ones. Praying for the sick, suffering, and departed at the Mass is a very old tradition.
Five prosphora are used for the rite in memory of the five loaves with which the Savior fed the five thousandth crowd. The main action is performed secretly, behind the closed Royal Gates. A clock is being read in the temple at this time. First, the priest cuts a quadrangle from the largest prosphora - the Lamb. This is a symbol of Jesus Christ, who, being innocent, sacrificed his life for all of humanity. The lamb is put on the discos, wine is poured into the chalice.
Further parts from other prosphora are taken out:
- in memory of the Virgin;
- as a sign of veneration for all saints;
- for all living clergy of parishioners;
- for the departed;
- for the health and repose of all Christians indicated in the submitted notes.
All particles of bread are soaked in wine, as a sign of purification through the blood of the Lord. The rite ends with censing.
Divine Liturgy
The opening of the Royal Gate is the beginning of the second part of the mass. A prayer service begins with the glorification of the Holy Trinity. The choir sings psalms, a litany is read, during which those present ask God to be merciful. Priest preaching, excerpts from the Bible sound. All this prepares believers for the Sacrament of Communion.
At the liturgy of the catechumens , unbaptized people are allowed to attend. After prayers and sermons, believers pray for their enlightenment. At the end of the litanies, unbaptized must leave the temple. The Great Sacrament is approaching, in which only Christians can take part.
Liturgy of the Faithful
The third part of the mass is the union with God through the Sacrament of Communion. It can be divided into several stages:
- the transfer of the Gifts (wine and prosphora) from the altar to the throne;
- preparation for their consecration, during which the “Symbol of Faith”, “Our Father” and other prayers are sung;
- sanctification of the Gifts by the Holy Spirit;
- Communion first of the clergy, and then the laity;
- Thanksgiving of God for the perfect Sacrament.
By accepting bread and wine, believers become involved in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who gave his life in the name of their salvation. They connect with him, heal from physical and mental illnesses, get a chance to enter eternal life.
Lunch is a service during which all members of the Church come together. Here the boundaries between the Heavenly and earthly Kingdoms, living and dead people are erased. They all appear before God, dying for a sinful life and being resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, healed and pure.