"UNDERSTANDING THE DIVINE LITURGY"

     (A Guide For Participating In The Divine Liturgy Of St. John Chrysostom)

 

The priest and the rest of the procession then stand immediately in front of the Royal Doors, waiting for the chant to end.

The priest prays that God will make this entrance into the sanctuary an entrance accompanied by holy angels glorifying His goodness. God should be worshiped by both humanity and the angels, for it is right that all honor, glory and praise should be rendered to the Lord of all by those who know how to praise and worship Him.

The clergy then enter the sanctuary through the Royal Doors while the designated Troparion and the Kontakion¹²⁰ are sung:

“Come let us worship and fall down before Him. Save us, O Son of God . . .”¹²¹

The priest then sets the Gospel book on the Holy Table. Actually, the Gospel is not so much “set” on the Holy Table as it is enthroned, for the Gospel book represents Christ, the Word of God.

After the Word is enthroned, the clergy, acolytes and everyone else at the Liturgy sing the Trisagion, just as the heavenly hosts sing the glory of God around the throne of the Most High in heaven.

==========================

 

120 A type of liturgical hymn popularized by Saint Romanus the Melodist (sixth century) which gives an abbreviated meaning of the
feast of a given day. It is sung after the sixth ode of the Canon in the Liturgy.
121 Cf. Psalm 94:6

 

Page created: 24-12-2012.

Last update: 24-12-2012.