The Beauty of Holiness: reflecting on Orthodox worship

The first time I remember going into an Orthodox church was as a child on a trip to Paris with my family. The Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Paris is dedicated to St Alexander Nevsky, so whilst it is probably not in most people’s top ten things to see in Paris, for us it was a must! It was so different to any church I had been in before - not just the icons and frescoes, but the whole shape of the building and the way people came in to pray. Over the years I have had various experiences of Orthodox worship, and here in Romania I try to go to the liturgy as often as I can - to soak it up and find spiritual nourishment and refreshment. I find the expressions of piety, of sincere faith and love, from the congregation very moving - lighting candles, venerating icons, touching written prayers to the image of the cross or the icon of the Mother of God. But I am aware that for many Western Christians, Orthodox worship is completely mystifying: all our norms about when to sit and stand, participation, service sheets and hymn books don’t apply. We might recognise the aesthetic beauty of a church, of the singing and the icons, but it can be hard for us to go beyond that into the heart of worship. In this blog post, I would like to share a few examples of the beauty and richness of the Byzantine liturgy. It can be hard to follow, not only because of the language barrier, but also because some of the prayers are said quietly by the priest. For an outsider, having the text of the liturgy can be a real help. The Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge published a bilingual Romanian-English edition of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (which is the most commonly used form) and the translation of the prayers below is taken from this book. My selection below is not a comprehensive guide to the liturgy or its structure, but I hope might give a flavour of its meaning and also provide prayers from the Orthodox tradition that you can use in your own prayers. One of the best introductions to the Orthodox liturgy is by Fr Vassilios Papavassiliou, Journey to the Kingdom: An insider’s look at the liturgy and beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox Church (Paraclete Press, 2012) - I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more.

At the very beginning and at several points throughout the liturgy, the deacons chants the litany - a series of petitions asking for God’s protection and blessing on the church, the world and all those in need. The Great Litany and the Little Litany both end:

Let us commit ourselves and each other, and our whole life, to Christ our God.

The litanies are a powerful reminder that our worship encompasses every aspect of our lives, and it is something that happens on behalf of the whole community - not just those present. Another recurring phrase is:

Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by your grace.

And this is at the heart of all our petitions, everything we ask of God. It is a good prayer for when we can’t think of the right words, or don’t know what to pray.

As the liturgy moves towards the offering of bread and wine at the altar, there is a prayer known as the Cherubic Hymn, which reminds us that our worship on earth is a participation in and reflection of the worship of the saints and angels in heaven:

Let us who in a mystery represent the cherubim, and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity, now lay aside all earthly cares,

for we are about to receive the King of all, invisibly borne aloft by the angelic hosts. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The Orthodox liturgy is full of symbolism, and the various actions and the things used in the rite have a meaning to which the priest gives voice. As the paten and chalice are placed on the altar before the offering of the gifts, the priest remembers Christ’s burial and prays:

Your life-bearing grave, O Christ, more beautiful than paradise, more radiant than any royal chamber, is the fountain of our resurrection.

This moment recalls for us the way in which the Eucharist is a participation in Christ’s death and resurrection and that it is here that we find true life.

Following the Peace, the priest prays the first verse of Ps. 18 three times as he approaches the altar:

I love you, O Lord my strength: O Lord my stronghold, my fortress and my deliverer.

This is a simple prayer that we too might pray as we approach the altar.

Following the Eucharistic prayer (which is in essence very similar to our own Eucharistic prayers), and just before the Lord’s Prayer, the priest prays:

To you we commit our whole life and our hope, O Master and Lover of mankind; and we ask, and pray, and beseech you, to make us worthy to share with a pure conscience in your heavenly and fearful mysteries at this sacred and spiritual table: for the remission of our sins, for the forgiveness of our wrongdoing, for the communion of the Holy Spirit, for our inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, for boldness towards You; but not for accusation or condemnation.

This reminds us as we prepare to recieve communion just what we are preparing for - and the universal scope of this act: as we come to the altar to receive Christ’s body and blood, the whole of salvation history is enacted and we are given a foretaste of our future life in the glory of heaven. This saving act draws together the church throughout the world, every place, and all those in need:

Therefore, O Master, distribute these offerings for the good of us all, giving to each according to our need: sail with those who sail, journey with those who journey by land or air; heal the sick, You that are the physician of our souls and bodies; through the grace and compassion and love towards mankind of your only-begotten Son…

Before the deacon recieves communion, he prays this short prayer which we could all use at the altar rail:

Lo, I draw near to our immortal King and our God. Master, give me the precious and holy Body and Blood of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sins, and for eternal life. Amen.

After the priest receives from the chalice, he prays another prayer which we too might use immediately after receiving communion:

Lo, this has touched my lips, and shall take away my iniquities and purge my sins.

As the bread and wine are prepared for the congregation to receive, the deacon says:

Having beheld the resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One… Come all you faithful, let us venerate Christ’s holy resurrection. For behold, through the Cross joy has come to all the world…

This is a powerful reminder that whilst the consecration of the gifts recalls Christ’s death, the resurrection lies at the heart of this mystery and we are an Easter people, full of the joy that has come to all the world!

The liturgy has a number of prayers of thanksgiving, and the service ends with the priest giving the blessing and dismissal. This final prayer recalls the resurrection, invokes the prayers of the Mother of God and the saints, and ends with words we should hold on to as we leave the church and go about our daily lives:

May He who rose from the dead… have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and loves mankind.