From the Editor: Continuing the theme, Abbot Kirill (Sakharov) describes how it differs during the bishop's ministry. The author who visited holiday service in the Pokrovsky Cathedral in the Rogozhsky village, notes the simplicity and rigor of the solemn Old Believer service.
How does the episcopal service begin?
In the modern rank, the great pomposity and protrusion of the figure of the bishop immediately catches the eye. Some even avoided such a service, where the personality of the bishop, attention to him create obstacles for prayerful concentration. Father Georgiy Florovsky wrote in "The Ways of Russian Theology" that, it seems, one of the main motives for the reform of Patriarch Nikon was great pomp and festivity in the service, in contrast to greater simplicity and asceticism, as it was in antiquity. But pomposity is a manifestation of sincerity, and asceticism, simplicity is a manifestation of spirituality.
Here is the episcopal service. Now how is it done? Before the arrival of the bishop, the hours are deducted in advance in order not to burden him with an additional load. This usually happens at 9 or 10 o'clock, as there is a practice of celebrating early and late liturgies, which was not the case in antiquity. The liturgy then was the same, it began very early. Perhaps now the celebration of two Liturgies is explained by the fact that there are many who want to be present at the service, but there are few churches, there are not enough, so it is very difficult for everyone to attend one Liturgy. Although there is another explanation: even before the revolution, a commoner came to the early, to the late - the gentleman, who later got up. Accordingly, the early service was modest, while the later one was more pompous.
According to the old order, such a picture. Here, for example, the Metropolitan performs a service. The procession goes from the house at the temple: a cross, priest-bearers in surplices go to the sound of bells at half past seven in the morning. The bishop enters the temple and begins to recite the entrance prayers. In the New Believer church, the bishop is met at 9-10 o'clock. He is clothed, and the Liturgy immediately begins. Hours are pre-calculated.
Here, on Rogozhsky, the bishop entered the church, recited the entrance prayers, entered the altar and the midnight office begins, which is already completely forgotten in our parish churches (ROC - ed.), it is preserved only in monasteries, and then except for Sunday and holidays. Naturally, there can be no talk of any midnight office during the bishop's service now. She has been long forgotten.
By the way, the style of reading in the service of the Old Believers was slower - not that it was drawing out words, but simply loud and drawn out, singsong. Interestingly, the acoustics in the old temples were so magnificent that every word was heard in the huge cathedral at every point. In churches of the 19th century, their hugeness led to the fact that, due to the ill-conceived acoustics, only on some patch was it possible to hear what was being read. And if it still clogs up on the wings, into the corner, and mumbles with a tongue twister, then it is natural that this is all for nothing.
Bishop's vestments
According to the ancient rite, the Midnight Office was read, at the end of its rite of forgiveness. After that, the bishop left the altar to the pulpit, and his vestments began. Now in the ROC it is happening like this. Two deacons stand on the pulpit, one proclaims: “Let us pray to the Lord, Lord, have mercy,” the other reads on each element of the vestment special prayer. The choir sings only one hymn, “Let your soul rejoice in the Lord, for you have clothed thee in the robe of salvation…” What the deacon is reading now is covered with singing and therefore is hard to hear by the people. According to the old order, the choir sang these prayers. The texts of these prayers for the vestments of the bishop are deeply meaningful; they were audible to all those praying in the temple. And now, no matter how loudly the deacon reads, the choir still drowns him out with their singing. There is, in my opinion, a loss.
Then, the current service (in the Russian Orthodox Church - ed.) - it is mosaic. When the priests, each as he can and wants, make exclamations; the choir sings one hymn in Znamenny, another in Kievan chant, a third in Optina Pustyn chant, and so on. As a result, integrity is violated, a mosaic of services is obtained. Some chants are sung softly, others are thunderous - these are the differences, it relaxes the spirit. And in the old rank everything was solid, everything was clear and loud. This made it possible to keep the worshipers in the temple in good shape.
And more features that I noted in the old service. The bishop, dressed, stands on the pulpit, and the hours are read: the third, sixth and ninth. Finished hours, then fine. Each reading according to the old rite has its own style: the Six Psalms is read in one style, the parimias in another, the teachings in a third, and so is the Apostle, i.e. everything was not leveled, but all these facets were preserved. When you hear the expressive reading of the Apostle in a cliché, then the problem of translation largely disappears with such a high-quality performance.
Peculiarities of the Bishops' Liturgy
So, we have finished the pictorial and we need to start the Liturgy. The senior deacon proclaims: "Bishops, priests and deacons, depart." This is done three times, on the second invitation the royal gates are opened, on the third - the entire mass of the concelebrating clergy leaves the Altar and stands near the bishop on the pulpit. It is interesting that the small entrance to the Liturgy, when “Blessed” is sung, which reminds us of Christ’s entrance to a public sermon, is made through the entire church.
The chant “Holy God” in Greek is very beautiful. The bishop, as you know, comes out with a trikirium and a dikirium to the pulpit and says: “Look down from Heaven, O God, and see, and visit this vineyard…”, and overshadows the people with the trikirium and dikirium. According to the old order, this happens three times: in the center, on the right and on the left with the same words, only at the beginning: “Lord, Lord ...”
I noticed that the Apostle was reading not by a deacon, but by a visiting priest, that is, the old order, with its strict regimentation and organization, is quite flexible. Let's say, it would be unusual for us to see that suddenly one of the 20 priests serving the bishop would suddenly begin to read the Apostle when there are five deacons at the service. But then the priest came out, apparently that he reads very well, a visitor, they gave him the opportunity to read the Apostle.
Incense. Two strokes, the third crosswise with a bow. There is no crumpledness when one bows deeply, the other only bows his head - as a result, disharmony is obtained. This weakens the attention, distracts the worshiper, while the rhythm, on the contrary, mobilizes attention.
After the great entrance, the royal doors remain open, only the veil is drawn. When the bishop pronounces “Peace to all”, or at the Eucharistic canon “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”, the veil opens, and so it is closed until the Communion Chalice is taken out. Interestingly, according to the usual order, all priests who serve receive communion. The deacons are free. The deacon, if he has prepared, then takes communion, one for sure, the rest can participate in the service without taking communion. According to the ancient rite, it was allowed that priests who had not specially prepared, who had not read a special rule, could participate in the Liturgy without taking communion, but the first deacon, the priest who served proskomedia, and the bishop would commune. Here are the features.
Prayer and blessing of water
After the Liturgy there was a prayer service to the All-Merciful Savior. Usually the prayer service is crumpled, it is believed that the Liturgy was so lengthy anyway. According to the ancient rite, a full prayer service is also performed slowly and rhythmically. The chants at the prayer service “Deliver Thy servants from troubles ...” were sung by the clergy in the altar after each song of the canon. The canon itself is read by a reader in the center of the temple. The clergy enter the middle of the temple after the sixth ode, and then the blessing of water begins. On it, when singing the troparion “Save, O Lord, Thy people”, when the Cross is immersed, the banners bend down, then rise when the choir is already singing, and so on three times.
We are used to the fact that only deacons proclaim many years. Here, one of the concelebrating priests proclaimed many years. Moreover, "Many years" is sung three times. Rhythm in the old rank is so harmonious, that is, there is not a single such arbitrary, subjective, sloppy, inaccurate movement. For example, they sing “For many years, once, twice, on the third time, the priest overshadows with the Cross. Not arbitrarily, when he wanted to, but for the third time, and as a result, such harmony is built, such a rhythm, a kind of complete picture. As there is no extra stroke in the picture, so here it is, so much rhythm and harmony in everything.
At the end of the divine service, it usually happens with us: the bishop served, delivered a sermon, and then leaves, and the clergy give the people the Cross. In the ancient service, everyone stays to the end, no one leaves until everyone has venerated the Cross. After that, they make initial bows, and this is where the service ends.
I repeat once again: there is a rhythm of the church service, there should not be any random moments that violate the integrity, everything should be whole, starting from the architecture, the painting of the temple, icons, singing, the clothes of those present, the vestments of the clergy. The ancient service did not know bright vestments, everything was somehow muffled.
Reading should be without one's own emotions, subjective creativity, namely in such a canonical channel, style. Prayers are baptized at the same time. All these nuances eventually add up to such a unique picture, which allows you to be more attentive to attend the service and, accordingly, the fruit of prayer is more abundant.
During the service, which is performed by the bishop, objects are used that belong only to the bishop's service: special candlesticks - dikirion and trikirion, ripids, eagles, rod (staff).
Dikirion and trikirion are two hand-shaped figured lamps with cells for two and three long candles. Dikyriy with burning candles marks the light of the Lord Jesus Christ, known in two natures. Trikirion means the uncreated light of the Most Holy Trinity. Dikiriy has in the center between two candles the sign of the cross. In ancient times, it was not customary to place a cross on a trikiriya, since the feat of the Cross was accomplished only by the incarnated Son of God.
Candles burning in dikirias and trikirias are called two-woven, three-woven, autumn, autumn candles. In the cases provided for by the Charter, dikiriya and trikiriya are worn before the bishop, who blesses the people with them. The right to bless with these lamps is sometimes granted to the archimandrites of some monasteries.
At the liturgy, after vesting and entering the altar, while singing “Come, let us bow down,” the bishop overshadows the people with a dikirion, which he holds in his left hand, and a trikirium, in his right. After the small entrance, the bishop burns incense, holding a dikyrium in his left hand. When the Trisagion is sung, he overshadows the Gospel on the throne with a dikyrium, having it in his right hand, and then, holding a cross in his left hand, and a dikyrium in his right, he blesses the people with them. These actions show that the Trinity unity was especially revealed to people through the coming in the flesh of the Son of God, and finally, that everything done by the bishop in the church takes place in the name of the Lord and according to His will. The overshadowing of people with light, signifying the Light of Christ and the Holy Trinity, communicates special grace to believers and testifies to them of the Divine light that comes to people for their enlightenment, purification and sanctification. At the same time, the dikirion and trikirion in the hands of the bishop signify the fullness of the grace of God, which pours out through him. Among the ancient fathers, the bishop was called an enlightener, or enlightener, and an imitator of the Father of Lights and the True Light - Jesus, having the grace of the apostles, who were called the light of the world. The bishop guides to the light, imitating Christ, the light of the world.
Dikyria and trikiria were introduced into church use, probably not earlier than the 4th-5th centuries.
Ripids (Greek - fan, fan) have been used in the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist since ancient times. The liturgical instructions of the Apostolic Ordinances say that two deacons should hold, on both sides of the throne, ripids made of thin skins, or peacock feathers, or thin linen, and quietly drive away flying insects. Ripids, therefore, began to be used mainly for practical reasons.
By the time of Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (1641), in the church consciousness, the ripids were already images of cherubim and seraphim, invisibly participating in the sacraments of the Church. Probably, from the same time, images of angelic beings began to appear on the ripids, more often than others - seraphim. Patriarch Photius of Constantinople (9th century) speaks of ripids made of feathers in the form of six-winged seraphim, which, in his opinion, are called upon “to prevent the unenlightened mind from dwelling on the visible, but to divert their attention so that they turn their mind’s eyes to the highest and ascend from visible to the invisible and to unspeakable beauty. The shape of ripids are round, square, star-shaped. In the Russian Orthodox Church, from the time of the adoption of Christianity, ripids were made of metal, with the image of seraphim.
The final form that the ripida has acquired is a radiant circle of gold, silver, gilded bronze with the image of a six-winged seraph. The circle is fixed on a long staff. This view fully reveals the symbolic meaning of this object. The ripides mark the penetration of angelic forces into the mystery of salvation, into the sacrament of the Eucharist, the participation of heavenly ranks in worship. Just as the deacons drive away insects from the Holy Gifts and create over the Gifts a breath of some kind of wings, so the Heavenly Forces drive away the spirits of darkness from the place of the greatest of the sacraments, surround and overshadow it with their presence. It is appropriate to recall that in the Old Testament Church, at the command of God, in the tabernacle of witness above the ark of the Covenant, images of two cherubim made of gold were arranged, and in other places there are many images of the same angelic ranks.
Since the deacon depicts an angel serving God, when consecrating a deacon, the newly appointed is given into the hands of a ripid, with which, upon gaining the rank, he begins to slowly overshadow the Holy Gifts with cruciform movements at the exclamation: "Singing, crying ..."
Ripids are hung over the paten and chalice at the great entrance at the liturgy, they are taken out in the statutory places of the bishop's service, in religious processions, with the participation of the bishop, and on other important occasions. Ripids overshadow the coffin of the deceased bishop. The radiant gilded circle of the ripida with the image of a seraph represents the light of higher immaterial forces serving in close proximity to God. Since the bishop at the service depicts the Lord Jesus Christ, the ripids became an accessory only to the bishop's ministry. As an exception, the right to serve with the ripids was granted to the archimandrites of some large monasteries.
During hierarchical worship, orlets are also used - round rugs with the image of a city and an eagle soaring above it.
Orlets spread under the feet of the bishop in the places where he stops, performing actions during the service. For the first time they began to be used from the XIII century in Byzantium; then they represented something like an honorary award of the emperor Patriarchs of Constantinople. The double-headed eagle - the state emblem of Byzantium was often depicted on royal chairs, carpets, even on the shoes of kings and the most noble dignitaries. Then they began to depict him on the shoes of the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Antioch and Alexandria. From shoes, this image moved to the carpets of saints. In some temples, in front of the altar, a mosaic circle with the image of an eagle has been made on the floor since ancient times. After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks (1453), Russia historically became the successor of state and church traditions Byzantium, so that the state emblem of the Byzantine emperors became the emblem of the Russian state, and the eagles became the honorary symbol of Russian bishops. In the Russian rite of the appointment of a bishop in 1456, an orlets is mentioned, on which the metropolitan should stand at his throne in a cloudy place. In the same rank, it is commanded on the platform, specially constructed for episcopal consecration, to draw "an eagle with one head."
The eagle on the Russian eagles was single-headed, in contrast to the two-headed eagles on the eagles of the Byzantine saints, so the eagle in Russia was not a royal award, but an independent symbol of the Church.
In the XVI-XVII centuries. Eaglets in Russia necessarily spread under the feet of the bishops when they entered the temple and when they left it, standing on it, the bishops considered the usual beginning of the service and made the last bow. At the Moscow Council of 1675, it was determined that in the presence of the patriarch, only the metropolitans of Novgorod and Kazan could use orlets. Then the orlets widely entered into the everyday life of the hierarchal worship and began to rely on the feet of the bishops, where they were supposed to stop for prayer, blessing the people and other actions. Standing everywhere on an eagle, the bishop, as it were, rests on the eagle all the time, that is, the eagle, as it were, constantly carries the bishop on itself. The eagle is a symbol of the highest mountain creature of the angelic ranks.
The belonging of a serving bishop is a baton - a tall staff with symbolic images. Its prototype is an ordinary shepherd's crook in the form of a long stick with a rounded upper end, which has been widely used since ancient times among the Eastern peoples. A long staff not only helps to drive the sheep, but also makes it very easy to climb the mountain. With such a staff he walked, tending the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro, Moses in the country of Midian. And the staff of Moses was destined for the first time to become an instrument of salvation and a sign of pastoral authority over the verbal sheep of God - the ancient people of Israel. Appearing to Moses in a burning and non-burning bush at Mount Horeb, the Burning Bush, the Lord deigned to impart miraculous power to the staff of Moses (). The same power was then given to Aaron's staff (7:8-10). Moses divided the Red Sea with his rod so that Israel could pass along its bottom (). With the same staff, the Lord commanded Moses to draw water from a stone to quench the thirst of Israel in the wilderness (). The transformative meaning of the staff (wand) is also revealed in other places in the Holy Scriptures. Through the mouth of the prophet Micah, the Lord speaks of Christ: “Feed your people with your staff the sheep of your inheritance” (). Shepherding invariably includes the concept of a fair trial and spiritual punishment. So the apostle Paul says, “What do you want? come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of meekness?” (). The Gospel points to the staff as an accessory of wandering, which, according to the Savior, the apostles do not need, since they have support and support - the grace-filled power of the Lord Jesus Christ ().
Wandering, preaching, shepherding, as a symbol of wise leadership, is personified in a rod (staff). So the staff is the spiritual power given by Christ to His disciples, who are called to preach the word of God, teach people, bind and solve human sins. As a symbol of power, the rod is mentioned in the Apocalypse (2, 27). This meaning, which includes a variety of particular meanings, is imputed to the bishop's baton - a sign of the bishop's archpastoral authority over the church people, similar to the authority that a shepherd has over a flock of sheep. It is characteristic that the most ancient symbolic images of Christ in the form of the Good Shepherd usually represented Him with a staff. It can be assumed that the rods were still in practical use among the apostles and passed from them with a certain spiritual and symbolic meaning to the bishops - their successors. As an obligatory canonical attribute of bishops, the staff is mentioned in the Western Church from V, in Eastern Church- since the 6th century. At first, the shape of the episcopal baton was similar to a shepherd's crook with top, bent down. Then came staves with a two-horned upper crossbar, the ends of which are bent slightly downward, which looked like the shape of an anchor. According to the interpretation of Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, “the baton held by the bishop means the power of the Spirit, the affirmation and shepherding of people, the power to guide, those who do not obey to punish and those who are far away to gather to themselves. Therefore, the wand has handles (horns over the wand), like anchors. And over those handles, the Cross of Christ means victory. Wooden, overlaid with silver and gold, or metal, usually silver-gilded, or bronze episcopal rods with a two-horned handle in the form of an anchor with a cross at the top - this is the most ancient form episcopal crosier, widely used in the Russian Church. In the XVI century. in the Orthodox East, and in the XVII century. and in the Russian Church there appeared staves with a handle in the form of two snakes, curving upwards so that one turned its head to the other, with the cross placed between their heads. This was intended to express the thought of the pure wisdom of the archpastoral leadership in accordance with the well-known words of the Savior: “Be wise as serpents and simple as doves” (). Wands were also given to abbots and archimandrites as a sign of their power over the monastic brethren.
In Byzantium, bishops were awarded with staffs from the hands of the emperor. And in Russia in the XVI-XVII centuries. the patriarchs received their rods from the kings, and the bishops from the patriarchs. Since 1725, the Holy Synod charged the senior bishop by consecration to hand over the baton to the newly appointed bishop. Bishop's rods, especially metropolitan and patriarchal ones, were customarily decorated precious stones, drawings, inlays. A feature of the Russian bishop's rods is the sulok - two scarves nested one inside the other and tied to the rod at the upper crossbar - the handle. Sulok arose in connection with the Russian frosts, during which it was necessary to make religious processions. At the same time, the lower handkerchief was supposed to protect the hand from touching the cold metal of the wand, and the upper one - from external cold. There is an opinion that reverence for the shrine of this symbolic object prompted the Russian hierarchs not to touch it with their bare hands, so that the sulok can also be considered a sign of God's grace covering the bishop's human infirmities in the great work of governance and in the use of God-given power over it.
Liturgy
Proskomedia
Proskomidia is performed before the arrival of the bishop at the temple. The priest, together with one of the deacons, reads the entrance prayers and puts on full vestments. Prosphora, especially for the Lamb, salutary and funeral, are prepared large sizes. When carving the Lamb, the priest takes into account the number of clergy who take communion. According to custom, two separate prosphora are prepared for the bishop, from which he removes particles during the Cherubic Hymn.
Meeting
Those who participate in concelebration with the bishop arrive at the temple well in advance in order to put on the clothes on time, who should, and prepare everything necessary. The subdeacons prepare the episcopal vestments, spread the eagles on the pulpit, in front of the locals (the Savior and Mother of God), temple and holiday icons, in front of the pulpit and at the entrance doors from the vestibule to the temple.
When the bishop approaches the temple, everyone comes out with the royal doors closed (the veil is drawn back) by the northern and southern doors from the altar to meet and stand at the entrance doors. In this case, each pair observes its alignment. Priests (in cassocks and headdresses-skufs, kamilavkas, klobuks - by seniority (from the entrance) stand in two rows, moreover, the one who performed the proskomedia (in full vestments) stands in the middle (between the last priests), having in his hands the altar Cross, with a handle to left hand, on a platter covered with air.The protodeacon and the first deacon (in full vestments) with the trikirium and dikirium, holding them at the same height, and the censers and between them the priest-bearer stand in a row opposite the entrance, stepping back to the east from the priest for a step. stand at the entrance doors from the vestibule to the temple: the first is on the right with a mantle, the second and the staff-bearer (assistant) are on the left.
The bishop, entering the temple, stands on the eagle, gives the staff to the staff, and everyone prays and bows three times to the bishop, who blesses them. The protodeacon proclaims: Wisdom and reads: It is worthy to eat as truly ..."Singers, at this time they sing:" Worthy..." long, sweetly. At the same time, the subdeacons put on a mantle on the bishop, who, having made one bow, accepts the Cross from the priest and kisses it, and the priest kisses the bishop's hand and departs to his place. Priests by seniority kiss the Cross and the hand of the bishop; after them - the priest who performed the proskomedia. The bishop kisses the Cross again and places it on the platter. The priest, having accepted the Cross and kissed the bishop's hand, takes his place and then, bowing with all the others for the blessing of the bishop, goes with the Holy Cross to the royal gates and passes through the northern door into the altar, where he places the Holy Cross on the throne. The priest with the Cross is followed by the priest-bearer, followed by the protodeacon, turning around for each walking bishop (if there are several). The bishop is followed by the priests in pairs (the elders are in front). The priest-bearer stands on the salt, at the icon of the Mother of God, the bishop - on the eagle at the pulpit; behind him are two priests in a row, the protodeacon is on the right side near the bishop, having previously given the subdeacon the trikirium with a censer. The subdeacon with the second deacon goes to the altar.
Protodeacon: " Bless, Lord." Bishop: " Blessed is our...» The protodeacon, as usual, reads the entrance prayers. When the protodeacon begins to read: Mercy door...”, the bishop gives the rod-bearer the staff and goes up to the pulpit. He venerates and kisses the icons as the protodeacon reads the troparia: Your most pure image...» « Mercy exists ... " and temple. Then, bowing his head before the royal doors, he reads a prayer: “ Lord, send down your hand... The protodeacon, according to custom, reads: God, relax, leave..."Having put on the hood and, having accepted the staff, the bishop from the pulpit blesses everyone coming on three sides, while singing:" Ton despotin ke archierea imon, Kyrie, filatte"(once), " Is pollla these despota" (three times) (" Lord and our bishop, Lord, save for many years”) and goes to the middle of the temple, to the pulpit (cloudy place). That's where the priests go. Standing in two rows and having performed a single veneration at the altar, they receive a blessing from the bishop and leave through the northern and southern doors to put on the altar.
Vestments of the bishop
When the bishop goes from the pulpit to the place of vestment, the subdeacons and other servants come out of the altar, in surplice, with a dish covered with air, and with a dish with bishop's clothes, as well as the first and second deacons with censers. Both deacons stand below the pulpit, against the bishop. The clerk accepts from the bishop on a dish a klobuk, a panagia, a rosary, a mantle, a cassock and takes it to the altar. A subdeacon with bishop's vestments stands in front of the bishop.
The protodeacon with the first deacon, bowing before the royal doors, proclaims: ". After the blessing, the first deacon says: Let's pray to the Lord”, the protodeacon reads:“ May your soul rejoice in the Lord; clothe thee in the robe of salvation and the garment of gladness, put on thee a crown, as a bridegroom, and adorn thee with beauty as a bride.
The subdeacons, with the blessing of each garment by the bishop, first put on him a sticharion (sakkosnik), then other clothes, in order, and each time the deacon says: “ Let's pray to the Lord”, and the protodeacon is the corresponding verse. The singers sing: May he rejoice...” or other prescribed chants.
When a bishop is put on an omophorion, a miter, a cross and a panagia are taken out of the altar on a platter.
The dikirion and trikirion are taken out of the altar to the subdeacons, and they pass them on to the bishop. Protodeacon after being proclaimed by the deacon: Let's pray to the Lord", says the Gospel words in a loud voice:" So let your light shine before men, as if they see your good deeds and glorify our Father, Who is in Heaven, always, now and forever and forever and ever, amen". The singers sing: Tone despotin...» The bishop overshadows the people on four sides (to the east, west, south and north) and gives the trikirion and dikirion to the subdeacons. The choristers on the kliros sing three times: Is polla...» The subdeacons line up with the protodeacon and the deacon, who cense the bishop three times three times, after which everyone bows before the royal doors, and then the bishop. The subdeacons, taking the censers, go to the altar, and the protodeacon and the deacon approach the bishop, accept his blessing, kiss his hand, and the first stands behind the bishop, and the second goes to the altar.
Clock
When the bishop overshadows the people with trikirion and dikirion, they leave the altar through the southern door - the priest who performed the proskomedia, the northern one - the reader. They stand near the bishop's pulpit: on the right side - the priest, on the left - the reader, and after bowing to the altar three times, at the same time, with the protodeacon, deacon and subdeacons, they bow to the bishop. At the end of the singing on the kliros: Is polla...” the priest proclaims: “ Blessed is our...»reader: « Amen»; then the normal reading of the clock begins. After each exclamation, the priest and the reader bow to the bishop. Instead of saying: Through the prayers of our holy fathers..." the priest says: " Through the prayers of our holy ruler, Lord Jesus Christ God ours, have mercy on us." The reader says: In the name of the Lord, Lord, bless", instead of: " In the name of the Lord, bless the father."
When reading the 50th psalm, the first and second deacons with censers come out of the altar to the pulpit, bow before the royal doors, bow to the bishop and, having received a blessing on the censer, go to the altar and incense the throne, the altar, icons and clergy; then - the iconostasis, a festive icon. And descending from the pulpit, the bishop (three times three times), the priest, the reader. Having ascended the pulpit again, both kliros, the people, and then the whole church; having come together at the western doors of the temple, both deacons go to the pulpit, incense the royal doors, local icons, the bishop (three times), pray to the altar (one bow), bow to the bishop and go to the altar.
When censing, the following order is observed: the first deacon censes the right side, the second - the left. Only the throne (front and back), the royal doors and the bishop are burned together.
When the hours are read, the bishop sits and rises to: hallelujah", on the: " Trisagion' and on: ' most honest(Officer).
At the end of the censing, the subdeacons and the sexton take out a vessel for washing hands with a tub and a towel, (the sexton stands between the subdeacons) perform prayerful worship at the royal doors (usually together with the deacons who have finished the censing), then, turning their faces to the bishop and, having bowed to him, go to pulpit and stop in front of the bishop. The first subdeacon pours water on the bishop's hands, together with the second subdeacon removes the towel from the sexton's shoulders, gives it to the bishop, and then again places the towel on the sexton's shoulders. The protodeacon, while washing the hands of the bishop, in an undertone, reads a prayer: “ Wash in innocent hands... ”, and after washing, kisses the hand of the bishop, the subdeacons and the deacon also kiss the hand of the bishop and go to the altar.
At the end of the hours, in prayer: Izhe for all time... "the priests stand in order of seniority near the throne, perform threefold worship before it, venerate it and, having bowed to each other, come out of the altar (by the northern and southern doors) and stand near the pulpit in two rows: among them they take the appropriate place according to the rank the priest who uttered exclamations on the clock.
The candle-bearer and the baton-bearer take their places at the Royal Doors: the first - from the north side, the second - from the south. The bookholder stands near the bishop on the left side. According to another practice, the bookholder leaves the altar at the beginning of the liturgy, after the exclamation: “ Blessed is the Kingdom...” The protodeacon and both deacons line up ahead of the priests. Everyone bows to the altar, then to the bishop. The bishop, with a raising of hands, reads the prescribed prayers before the start of the liturgy. The priest and deacons pray with him secretly. After prayerful worship, everyone bows to the bishop. After that, the protodeacon says: Time to create the Lord, Most Reverend Vladyka, bless". The bishop blesses everyone with both hands with the words: Blessed be God..." and gives the right hand to the preeminent priest. Having received the blessing, the priest enters the altar through the south door, kisses the throne and stands in front of it.
After the leading priest, the protodeacon with the deacons approach the bishop for a blessing. The elder says in an undertone: Amen. Let's pray for us, Holy LordMay the Lord fix your feet". Protodeacon: " Remember us, Holy Lord". The bishop, blessing with both hands, says: May he remember you... "The deacons answer:" Amen ", kiss the bishop's hand, bow and depart; the protodeacon goes to the salt and stands before the icon of the Savior, and the rest of the deacons stand behind the bishop on the lower step of the pulpit.
At the end of the hours, the subdeacons open the royal doors. The leading priest, standing in front of the altar, and the protodeacon on the salt, simultaneously perform prayerful worship to the east (the priest kisses the altar at the same time) and, turning to the bishop, bows, accepting his blessing.
The beginning of the liturgy. The protodeacon proclaims: Bless, lord". The leading priest proclaims: Blessed is the Kingdom... ”raising the Gospel above the holy antimension and making a cross with it, then he kisses the Gospel and the throne, bows to the bishop together with the protodeacon, concelebrating priests, subdeacons and reader, and stands on the south side of the throne.
The protodeacon pronounces the great litany. At the beginning and end of the great litany and at two small litanies, the book-holder opens the Official to the Bishop to read the prayers.
At the petition of the great litany: Oh spare us... ”the deacons come out from behind the pulpit and go in the middle between the rows of priests to the salt; the first stands opposite the image of the Mother of God, and the second stands next to the protodeacon on the right side. The leading priest pronounces an exclamation at the throne: As befits you... ”and bows at the royal gates to the bishop. Simultaneously with him, the protodeacon with the deacons and the second priest bow to the bishop. The protodeacon from the solea goes to the pulpit, stands behind, to the right of the bishop; the second priest enters the altar through the northern door, kisses the altar, bows to the bishop through the royal gates and takes his place, opposite the leading priest.
After the small litany which the first deacon pronounces, the second priest pronounces the exclamation: Like your state... "and bows to the bishop. Simultaneously with him, the deacon and two priests standing at the pulpit bow: the latter go through the side doors to the altar, kiss the throne and bow through the royal doors to the bishop.
Similarly, the remaining clergy and subdeacons go to the altar after the second small litany and the next exclamation: “ Yako Blag and Humanitarian...»
During the singing of the third antiphon or " Blessed» a small entry is made.
small entrance
Subdeacons take trikirion and dikirion, sextons - ripids, deacons - censers; the leading priest, bowing before the throne and bowing together with the protodeacon to the bishop, takes the Gospel and gives it to the protodeacon, who stands with him behind the throne, facing west. At this time, the leading and other priests, having bowed from the waist, kiss the throne, bow to the bishop and follow the protodeacon one by one. Everyone exits the altar through the north door in the following order: a priest-bearer, a co-worker, two deacons with censers, sub-deacons with a trikirion and a dikirion, ripids, a protodeacon with the Gospel, and priests by seniority. Arriving at the pulpit, the priests stand on both sides of the pulpit to the altar. The candle-bearer and assistant take their places at the royal doors. Protodeacon with the Gospel - below the pulpit, in the middle, against the bishop; on the sides of the gospel - ripidchiki, facing each other. Near them, closer to the pulpit, are the deacons and subdeacons. Having made one bow, everyone takes the general blessing of the bishop. The bishop and priests secretly read the prayer: Lord God, our God..."The protodeacon says in an undertone:" Let's pray to the Lord". After the bishop read the prayer, and after completing, if any, awards and promotion to the highest rank, the protodeacon, shifting the Gospel to left shoulder, raises his right hand with the orar up and says in an undertone: “ Bless, Most Reverend Vladyka, the holy entrance". The bishop, blessing, says: Blessed is the entrance of Thy saints, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.” The protodeacon says: Amen”and, together with the subdeacons, approaches the bishop, who kisses the Gospel; the protodeacon kisses the right hand of the bishop, holding the Gospel while kissing, and departs with the Gospel to the ripidchiks. The subdeacons, however, remain at the pulpit and hand over the trikirion and dikirion to the bishop. Protodeacon, lifting a little up, the Gospel proclaims: Wisdom, I'm sorry” and, turning his face to the west, sings slowly with everyone: “ Come let's bow down... "The deacons incense on the Gospel, then on the bishop, when he slowly worships before the holy Gospel and then overshadows the clergy bowing to him with trikiriya and dikiriya.
The bishop overshadows the people with trikirium and dikirium to the west, south and north. At this time, the protodeacon, preceded by the deacons, brings the holy Gospel into the altar through the royal doors and places it on the throne; all other clergy enter the altar through the north and south doors, while the priests remain at the bottom of the salt.
The bishop descends from the pulpit and ascends to the pulpit, where he overshadows when the chanters sing: “ Save us, Son of God...» trikiriy and dikiriy people on two sides and go to the altar. At the royal gates, the protodeacon meets him, accepts the trikirium from him and places him behind the throne. The bishop, having kissed the icons on the pillars of the royal doors, the throne, and having accepted the censer from the deacon, begins to incense.
Following the bishop, the priests enter the altar, each kissing the icon in the royal doors on his side.
The bishop with the slow singing of the clergy: " Save us, Son of God...” preceded by the protodeacon with the trikirion, censes the throne, the altar, the high place, the priests on the right and left sides, the clergy, and proceeds to the saline. The candle-bearer and assistant descend from the salt and stand below the ambo opposite the royal doors; The performers sing softly and sweetly: "Is polla these, despota". Priests kiss the throne. The bishop incenses the royal doors, the iconostasis, the kliros, the people, local icons, enters the altar, incense and the throne, the priests and the protodeacon.
The candle-bearer and helper return to their places. On the kliros they sing: Is polla...” drawling (once) and then troparia and kontakia according to the Charter.
The second subdeacon receives from the bishop the dikyrium, the protodeacon receives the censer (the trikirium is handed over to the first subdeacon). All three stand behind the throne and at the same time bow when the protodeacon of the bishop censors three times three times; then they turn their faces to the east, the protodeacon passes the censer to the sacristan, all four bow, bow to the bishop and go to their places.
The subdeacons who have chirothesia put the trikirion and dikirion on the throne, those who do not have chirothesia - on stands behind the throne. The clerk approaches the bishop with the Official to read the prayer: Holy God, even in the saints rest...»
After singing the troparia and kontakia, the protodeacon kisses the throne and, holding the orarion with three fingers, says in an undertone: Bless, Most Reverend Master, the time of the Trisagion”; kissing the blessing hand of the bishop, he goes out to the solea and says against the image of the Savior: Let's pray to the Lord". Singers: " Lord have mercy". The bishop utters his first exclamation: For holy art thou our God... now and forever". The protodeacon, standing in the royal doors, turning his face to the people, finishes the exclamation: “ And forever and ever”, pointing the orar from the left hand to the right, at the level of his brow. The singers sing: Amen" and then: " Holy God..." The protodeacon, having entered the altar, takes the dikirion and gives it to the bishop; in the altar everyone sings: Holy God..." The bishop creates a cross over the gospel with a dikiry.
The second priest, taking the altar Cross by the upper and lower ends and turning the front side, on which the sacred images are located, to the throne, gives it to the bishop, kissing the bishop's hand.
In front of the pulpit, against the royal gates, the priest-bearer and assistant stand.
The bishop, having in his left hand the Cross, in his right - a dikirion, while singing with a singing recitative: “ Holy God..." goes to the pulpit and says: Look down from heaven, O God, and behold, and visit this vineyard, and establish it, and plant it by Your right hand.
After saying this prayer, when the bishop blesses the west, the performers sing: “ Holy God" South - " Holy Strong", on North - " Holy Immortal, have mercy on us."
The bishop enters the altar. The choristers on the kliros sing: Holy God..." The candle-bearer and helper take their places. The bishop, having given the Cross (the second priest accepts the Cross and places it on the throne) and, kissing the throne, goes to the high place.
When the bishop departs for the high place, all the concelebrants, in the usual manner, venerate the altar and, then departing to the high place, stand behind the throne in order.
The bishop, going around the throne on the right side and blessing the high place with the dikyrium, gives the dikyrium to the subdeacon, who puts it in its place. The protodeacon, standing at the high place to the left of the throne, reads the troparion: “ The appearance of the Trinity in the Jordan was, The very divine nature of the Father exclaimed: This baptized My Beloved Son; But the Spirit came to the One like Him, Whom the people will bless and exalt for all eternity.” and gives the trikirion to the bishop, who overshadows the trikirion from the high place straight, to the left and to the right while all the concelebrants sing: “ Holy God..." After this, the chanters complete the Trisagion, beginning with: Glory, and now.
Reading the Apostle and the Gospel
The protodeacon, having received the trikirion from the bishop, hands it over to the subdeacon, who puts it in its place. The first deacon approaches the bishop with the Apostle, putting his orarion on top, receives a blessing, kisses the bishop's hand and goes on the left side of the throne through the royal gates to the pulpit to read the Apostle. At this time, the protodeacon brings to the bishop an open censer with burning coals, and one of the subdeacons (on the right side of the bishop) brings a vessel with incense.
Protodeacon: " Bless, Most Reverend Vladyka, censer", the bishop, putting a spoon, incense into the censer, says a prayer:" We bring you a censer ... "
Protodeacon: " Let's go!" Bishop: " Peace to all". Protodeacon: " Wisdom". The reader of the Apostle pronounces the prokeimenon and so on, according to custom. According to the bishop: Peace to all" the subdeacons remove the omophorion from the bishop and place it on the hand of the second deacon (or subdeacon), who, having kissed the blessing hand of the bishop, departs and stands on the right side of the throne. The first deacon reads the Apostle. The protodeacon censes, according to custom. (Some observe the custom of incense at the Alleluia.)
At the beginning of the reading of the Apostle, the bishop sits on the seat of the high place and, at his sign, the priests sit on the seats prepared for them. When the protodeacon censes the bishop for the first time, the bishop and priests stand up and answer the censing: the bishop with a blessing, the priests with a bow. During the second incense, neither the bishops nor the priests get up.
At the end of the reading of the Apostle, everyone stands up. Sextons, taking ripides, subdeacons - dikirion and trikirion, go to the pulpit, where they stand on the right and left sides of the lectern prepared for reading the Gospel. Alleluia is sung according to custom. The bishop and all the priests secretly read the prayer: Shine in our hearts..." The leading priest and protodeacon bow to the bishop and, having received the blessing, retire to the throne. The leader takes the Gospel and gives it to the protodeacon. The protodeacon, having kissed the throne and accepted the Gospel, brings it to the bishop, who kisses the Gospel, and he kisses the bishop's hand, and goes through the royal doors to the lectern, preceded by the deacon with the omophorion. When the deacon with the omophorion (walking around the lectern) reaches the reader of the Apostle, he goes to the altar (if the deacon - through the royal doors) and stands on left side the throne, and the deacon with the omophorion - to its original place. On both sides of the protodeacon are the subdeacons with the trikirium and dikirium and the ripids, raising the ripids above the Gospel. The protodeacon, placing the holy Gospel on the lectern and covering it with an orarion, bows his head over the Gospel and proclaims: Bless, Most Reverend Vladyka, the evangelist…”
Bishop : "God, prayers ..." Protodeacon says : "Amen»; and, putting the orarion on the lectern under the book, he opens the Gospel. Second deacon : "Wisdom, forgive me..." Bishop : "Peace to all". Singers : "And your spirit." Protodeacon: " From (the name of the rivers) the holy Gospel reading. Singers First Deacon: Let's go." The protodeacon clearly reads the Gospel.
When the reading of the Gospel begins, both deacons kiss the throne, go under the blessing to the bishop, kiss his hand and put the Apostle and the omophorion in their places. The priests listen to the Gospel with uncovered heads, the bishop - in a miter.
After reading the Gospel, the choir sings "Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee." The lectern is removed, the ripids are taken to the altar. The bishop descends from the high place, passes through the royal gates to the pulpit, kisses the Gospel, held by the protodeacon, and overshadows the people with dikirium and trikirium while singing on the kliros : "Is polla..." The protodeacon gives the gospel to the first priest, and he places it on the high place of the throne.
The subdeacons pray to the east (one bow), bow to the bishop, put the dikirion and trikirion in their places. The priests take their places.
litanies
The special litany is pronounced by the protodeacon or the first deacon. When a petition is made : "Have mercy on us, God..." all those present at the altar (deacons, subdeacons, sextons) stand behind the throne, pray to the east and bow to the bishop. After asking: "... and about our Lord Most Reverend..." those behind the throne sing (together with the priests) three times: Lord have mercy", they pray to the east, bow to the bishop and retire to their places. At the same time, two senior priests help the bishop open the antimension with three sides. The deacon continues the litany. The bishop pronounces : "Like merciful ..."(Usually the bishop himself distributes the exclamations to the serving priests).
The deacon, having bowed to the bishop, proceeds through the northern doors to the solea and pronounces the litany for the catechumens. When asking : "The gospel of truth will be revealed to them" the third and fourth priests open the upper part of the antimension, pray to the east (one bow) and bow to the bishop. During the exclamation of the first priest : “Yes, and ti praise us ...” the bishop makes a cross with a sponge over the antimension, kisses it and places it at the top on the right side of the antimension.
The protodeacon and the first deacon stand at the royal gates; protodeacon says: Yelitsa annunciation, go out ”; second deacon : "Announcement, go out", first deacon: Yelitsa Annunciation, go out." The second deacon continues the litany alone : "Yes, no one from the catechumens, figurines of faith ..." And so on.
Bishops and priests read secret prayers.
The first deacon takes a censer and, having asked for a blessing from the bishop, censes the throne, the altar, the high place, the altar, the bishop three times three times, all the concelebrants, the throne - in front, the bishop - three times, gives the sacristan the censer, both pray to the east, bow to the bishop and depart . At this time the second deacon says the litany : "Packs and packs ..." exclamation : "As if under Thy dominion..."- says the bishop.
Great Entrance
Having finished the litany, the deacon goes to the altar, prays to the east, and bows to the bishop. [Optional rite: one of the junior priests of the left row goes to the altar, removes the air from the vessel and places it on the right corner of the altar; removes the cover and the star from the diskos and puts it aside; puts the prosphora on a platter and a small spear before the paten]
The subdeacons with a vessel and water and a hovel and a sexton with a towel on their shoulders go to the royal doors to wash the hands of the bishop.
Bishop, reading a prayer : "No one is worthy..."(during this prayer, the priests take off their mitres, kamilavkas, skufis; the bishop is wearing a mitre), goes to the royal doors, says a prayer over the water, blesses the water and washes his hands. After washing, the subdeacons and the sexton kiss the bishop's hand and, together with the priest-bearer and assistant, go to the altar. The bishop stands in front of the throne, the protodeacon and the deacon place a small omophorion on him, the bishop prays (three bows) and with a show of hands reads three times : "Like Cherubim..." The protodeacon removes the miter from the bishop and places it on a dish over the large omophorion lying on it. The bishop, having kissed the antimension and the altar, and having blessed the co-servants, departs to the altar; the first deacon gives him a censer. The bishop censes the altar, gives the censer to the deacon and places air on his left shoulder.
The deacon departs from the bishop, censes the royal doors, local icons, kliros and the people.
After the bishop, the priests approach the throne in pairs from the front, make two bows, kiss the antimension and the throne, make another bow, then bow to each other with the words : “The archpriest (or: priesthood) may the Lord remember yours in His Kingdom ...” and go to the altar. The bishop at this time creates a commemoration on the prosphora at the altar. Priests by seniority, protodeacon, deacons, subdeacons approach the bishop from the right side, saying : "Remember me, Most Reverend Vladyka, priest, deacon, subdeacon (name of the rivers)", and kiss him on the right shoulder; the same is done by the deacon who performed the censing. Having remembered health, the bishop takes the funeral prosphora and commemorates the dead.
At the end of the hierarchical proskomedia, the subdeacons remove the omophorion from the bishop. (Excessive rites: one of the priests gives the bishop an asterisk, which, fragrant with incense, the bishop puts on the diskos, then the priest gives the veil that covers the diskos.) The protodeacon, kneeling on his right knee, says : "Take it, Most Reverend Master."
The bishop takes the paten with both hands, kisses it, gives the paten and his hand to be kissed by the protodeacon, and placing the paten at the forehead of the protodeacon (the protodeacon accepts it with both hands), pronounces : "In the world, take up your hands in the holy ..." The protodeacon leaves. The first priest approaches the bishop, accepts the holy chalice from the bishop, kisses it and the bishop's hand, saying : "May the Lord remember your bishopric in His Kingdom always, now and forever, and forever and ever." The second priest approaches, holding the Cross (upper end to the right) in an inclined position with both hands and saying: “ May your bishopric remember... kisses the hand of the bishop, who places it on the handle of the Cross, and kisses the Cross. The rest of the priests, speaking the same words and kissing the bishop's hand, accept from him the sacred objects of the altar - a liar, a spear, etc.
The great entrance is being made. Ahead go through the northern doors a deacon with a miter and a homophone on a platter, a priest-bearer, a co-worker, a deacon with a censer, subdeacons with a dikirion and a trikirium, sexton with ripids (usually one in front of the paten, the other behind the chalice). Protodeacon and priests by seniority.
The candle-bearer and the helper stand in front of the salt. The deacon with the miter goes to the altar and stops at the left corner of the altar. Ripids and subdeacons stand on the sides of the orlets laid on the salt, the protodeacon - in front of the orlets, kneeling on one knee, the deacon with the censer - at the royal doors on the right hand of the bishop, the priests - in two rows, turning to the north and south, the elders - to royal doors.
The bishop goes to the royal doors, takes the censer from the deacon and censes the Gifts. The protodeacon speaks softly : "Your bishopric..." the bishop takes the diskos, performs a commemoration according to the order, and takes the diskos to the throne. The leading priest stands before the eagle and quietly speaks to the bishop walking from the altar : "Your bishopric..." The bishop censes the cup, takes it. The first deacon, having accepted the censer from the bishop, departs to the right side of the throne; the leading priest, having kissed the hand of the bishop, takes his place. The bishop makes a commemoration according to the order and takes the cup to the throne; behind the bishop, the priests enter the altar. Reading the prescribed troparia, the bishop, having removed the covers, covers the diskos and the bowl with air, then puts on the miter and, after censing, Darov says : "Brethren and co-servants, pray for me." He is answered : "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." Protodeacon and co-servants : "Pray for us, Holy Master." Bishop : "May the Lord correct your steps." Protodeacon and others : "Remember us, Holy Master." Bishop blessing the protodeacon and deacons Protodeacon : "Amen."
After the blessing, the first deacon, standing at the eastern right corner of the altar, censes the bishop three times three times, gives the censer to the sexton, both pray towards the east, bow to the bishop, and the deacon comes out of the altar and recites the litany. The bishop on the solea blesses the people with dikirium and trikirium. The choristers sing : "Is polla..." The royal gates at the great entrance are not closed during the bishop's service. The helper and the priest-bearer take their places at the royal doors.
The First Deacon Pronounces the Litany : Let us fulfill our prayer to the Lord. During the litany, the bishop and priests secretly read the prayer : "Lord God, the Almighty ..." exclamation : "By the bounties of Thy only begotten Son..." After the litany, when the deacon speaks : "Let's love one another" everyone makes three bows from the waist, speaking secretly “I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength, the Lord is my strength and my refuge.” The protodeacon removes the miter from the bishop; the bishop kisses the paten, saying : "Holy God" bowl : "Holy Strong» and the throne : "Holy Immortal, have mercy on us", stands near the throne on the right side on the orlets. All the priests also kiss the paten, chalice and altar and approach the bishop. To his greeting : "Christ in our midst" they answer : "And is, and will be" and kiss the bishop on the right shoulder, on the left shoulder and hand, and, kissing each other in the same way (sometimes, with in large numbers co-servants, kiss each other's hand only), stand near the throne in their places. Word : "Christ in our midst" always says the elder.
After the deacon calls : "Doors, doors, let us pay attention to wisdom" and the singing will begin : "I believe..." – the priests take the air by the edges and blow it over the Gifts and over the bowed head of the bishop, together with him reading to themselves : "I believe..." After reading the Creed, the bishop kisses the cross in the air, the priest places the air on the left side of the throne, the protodeacon puts the miter on the bishop.
Consecration of the Gifts
The deacon proclaims on the solea : "Let's get better..." and enters the altar. The subdeacons pray to the east (one bow), bow to the bishop, take the trikirion and dikirion and serve it to the bishop, kissing his hand. The choristers sing : "The grace of the world..." The bishop goes to the pulpit with a trikirium and a dikirium and, turning to face the people, proclaims: Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...
Singers : "And with your spirit." Bishop (overshadowing the south side ): "Woe to our hearts."
Singers : "Imams to the Lord". Bishop (overshadowing the north side ): Thank you Lord. Singers : "Worthy and righteous..." The bishop returns to the altar, the subdeacons receive the trikirion and dikirion from him and put them in their place. The bishop, having bowed before the throne, reads a prayer together with the priests : “It is worthy and righteous to sing thee ...”
The first deacon, having kissed the throne and bowed to the bishop, takes with three fingers with an orarion an asterisk, and at the pronouncement by the bishop : "The victory song is singing, crying, crying and speaking" touches the diskos with it from above on four sides, crosswise, kisses the star, folds it, puts it on the left side of the throne above the Cross and, together with the protodeacon, kissing the throne, bows to the bishop.
The choir sings : "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts...": "With these we are blessed forces ..." At the end of the prayer, the protodeacon removes the miter from the bishop, the subdeacons put on the small omophorion on the bishop.
The protodeacon, with his right hand with the orarion, points to the diskos, when the bishop, also pointing to the diskos with his hand, pronounces : "Take, eat..." and on the chalice when the bishop proclaims : “Drink everything from her ...” When proclaiming : "Yours from Yours..." the protodeacon with his right hand with the orarion takes the diskos, and with the left, below the right, the Chalice and lifts them up above the antimension. The choristers sing : "I'll sing to you ...", the bishop and priests read the prescribed secret prayers.
Bishop with a raising of hands in an undertone prays : "Lord, Who is Thy Most Holy Spirit..."(priests - secretly), three times, each time with a bow. The protodeacon, and with him secretly all the deacons recite verses : "The heart is pure..."(after reading : "Lord, Izhe Most Holy..." for the first time) and Don't reject me..."(after the second reading: " Lord, the Holy One...»)
After the third reading by the bishop: Lord, Who is Your Most Holy Spirit..." the protodeacon, pointing to the paten with his orarion, says: Bless, Lord, Holy Bread. The bishop speaks softly (priests secretly ): “And make this Bread...” and blesses the bread (only the Lamb) with his right hand. Protodeacon : "Amen"; pointing to the chalice, pronounces : "Bless, Master, the Holy Chalice." The bishop speaks softly : "And the hedgehog in this Cup..."(priests - secretly) and blesses Chalice. Protodeacon: " Amen"; pointing to the paten and chalice says : "Bless, Lord, wallpaper." Bishop (priests - secretly) speaks : "Changing by Your Holy Spirit" and blesses the paten and chalice together. Protodeacon : "Amen" thrice. All those in the altar make a prostration. The subdeacons remove the omophorion from the bishop.
Then the protodeacon, turning to the bishop, says : "Remember us, Holy Master"; all the deacons approach the bishop and bow their heads, holding the orarion with the three fingers of their right hand. The bishop blesses them with both hands, saying "May the Lord God remember you..." Protodeacon and all deacons answer : "Amen" and depart.
Bishop and priests read a prayer : “It is like being communed ...” At the end of the prayer and singing on the kliros : "We'll sing to you..." the protodeacon lays a miter on the bishop, the deacon brings the censer, and the bishop, censing, proclaims : "Fairly about the Blessed..." Then the bishop gives the censer to the deacon, who censes the throne, the high place, the bishop three times three times, the priests and again the throne from the bishop, bows to the bishop and departs. Bishop and priest read a prayer : "About Saint John the Prophet..." The choristers sing : "It is worthy to eat..." or worthy of the day.
At the end of singing : "It is worthy to eat..." the protodeacon kisses the throne, the hand of the bishop, becomes facing west in the royal gates and, pointing with his right hand with the orarion, proclaims : "And everyone and everything." Singers : "And everyone and everything».
Bishop : "First, remember, Lord, our Lord ..."
Primary Priest : “Remember, Lord, and the Lord of our Most Reverend (name of the rivers), metropolitan (archbishop, bishop; his own diocese), grant him the Saints of Your Church in the world, whole, honest, healthy, long-lived, right ruling the word of Your truth” and goes up to the bishop, kisses his hand, the miter, and again the hand. The bishop, blessing him, says : "The priesthood (archpriestship, etc.) is yours..."
The protodeacon, standing in the royal gates and turning his face to the people, speaks loudly : “Our Lord, His Grace (the name of the rivers), Metropolitan(archbishop, bishop; his own diocese; or: His Grace by name and with titles, if several bishops celebrate the liturgy), bringer (or: bringer)(turns and enters the altar) This Holy Gifts(points to diskos and cup) Lord our God(approaches the high place, crosses himself, makes a bow and, having bowed to the bishop, goes and stands in the royal gates); about the Most Reverend Archbishops and Bishops and all priestly and monastic ranks, about this country and its authorities, about the peace of the whole world, about the well-being of the Saints Churches of God, about salvation and help with diligence and fear of God to those who work and serve, about healing those who lie in infirmities, about assumption, weakness, blessed memory and leaving the sins of all the Orthodox who have died before, about the salvation of people who are coming and everyone in the thought of having both about everyone and for all",(goes to the high place, crosses himself, makes one bow, then goes to the bishop, kisses his hand, saying : "Is pollla these despota", the bishop blesses him).
Singers : "And about everyone and for everything."
After the exclamation of the bishop : "And give us one mouth..." the second deacon proceeds to the pulpit through the northern doors and after the bishop has blessed the people from the saline during the pronouncement : "And may there be mercy..." says litany : "All the saints remembered ..."
After the litany, the miter is removed from the bishop and he proclaims : "And vouchsafe us, Lord..." The people sing : "Our Father..." Bishop : "For yours is the Kingdom..." Singers : "Amen." The bishop blesses the people with his hands, saying : "Peace to all". A small omophorion is put on the bishop.
Singers : "And your spirit." Deacon (on the soles): " Bow your heads to the Lord."
Singers : "You, Lord". Bishop and priests, bowing their heads, secretly read a prayer : "Thank You..." Deacons are girded with oraries cross-shaped. The bishop pronounces : "Grace and bounty ..."
Face : "Amen." The bishop and priests secretly read the prayer: Look out, Lord Jesus Christ our God…”
The royal doors are closed and the curtain is drawn. The deacon on the pulpit proclaims : "Let's go!" and enters the altar. The candle-bearer puts a candle against the royal doors and with an assistant also enters the altar.
The bishop, having made three prostrations with his fellow servants, proclaims : "Holy to the Holy." The choristers sing : "One is Holy..."
communion
Protodeacon (standing to the right of the bishop ): "Shatter, Master, Holy Lamb."
Bishop : "The Lamb of God is broken and divided..."
Protodeacon pointing the orarion at the chalice : "Fill, Lord, holy chalice." The bishop lowers the part of "Jesus" into the chalice, saying : "Filling of the Holy Spirit". Protodeacon answers : "Amen" and, bringing warmth, says : "Bless, Lord, warmth." The bishop blesses the warmth, saying : "Blessed is the warmth of Thy Saints..."
Protodeacon : "Amen"; pouring warmth into the chalice cross-shaped, says : Warmth of faith, full of the Holy Spirit, amen.
The bishop breaks up the part of "Christ" according to the number of clergy who take communion. The protodeacon and deacons at this time stand between the high place and the throne, kiss each other on the right shoulder; there is a custom that the elder at the same time says : "Christ in our midst" and the younger ones answer : "And there is and will be." The bishop, addressing everyone, says : "Excuse me..." The co-servants, bowing to the bishop, answer : "Forgive us too, Most Reverend Vladyka, and bless us." The bishop, having blessed and bowed before the throne with the words: See, I'm coming..." takes a particle of the Holy Body of the Lord, reads with the clergy : "I believe, Lord, and I confess..." and partake of the Holy Body, and then the Blood of the Lord.
When a bishop receives communion from the chalice, the protodeacon usually says : “Amen, amen, amen. Is pollla these despots, and then, addressing the priests and deacons, he proclaims: Archimandrite, archpriest... priest and deacon, come on.” Everyone approaches the bishop from the north side of the throne with the words : "Behold, I come to the Immortal King and our God..." and partake of the Holy Body and Blood of the Lord according to custom.
The priests, when they receive the Body of the Lord, pass near the altar through the high place to the right side, where they partake of the Holy Body above the altar. Deacons usually take communion on the left side of the altar. The priests are communed with the Holy Blood of the Lord by the bishop on the right side of the throne, and the deacons are usually the first of the priests.
One of the priests crushes the parts of NI and KA and puts them into the chalice for the communion of the laity.
The bishop stands in the altar on the right side of the throne, reads a prayer: “ We thank You, Lord…” he takes the prosphora, tastes the antidoron and warmth, washes his lips and hands, and reads prayers of thanksgiving. The one who supplies heat must place the ladle on the dish so that it is convenient for the bishop to take it, namely: he puts the prosphora to the right (away from himself) and puts the antidor on top of the prosphora, and puts the ladle to the left, and the handle of the ladle should also be turned to the left.
At the end of the singing on the kliros, the priest-bearer and assistant take their places, the subdeacons with dikirion and trikirium go out to the pulpit. The royal doors open, and the bishop, putting on a miter, gives the chalice to the protodeacon, who, kissing the bishop's hand, stands in the royal doors and proclaims : "Come with the fear of God and with faith." Singers : "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord..."
If there are communicants, then the bishop, taking the chalice, communes them on the ambo while singing : Take the Body of Christ...
After communion, the bishop places the holy chalice on the altar, goes out to the solea, accepts the trikirion and dikirion from the subdeacons, and blesses the people with the words: Save, O God, Thy people..." Singers : “Is polla ...”, “We have seen the true light ...” At this time, one of the clergy lowers the particles from the paten into the chalice, reading secretly laid prayers.
The bishop, standing at the throne, takes the censer from the deacon and censes the Holy Gifts, saying softly : "Ascend into heaven, O God, and over all the earth is Your glory," gives the censer to the deacon, and the paten to the protodeacon, who, preceded by the censing deacon, transfers the paten to the altar. The bishop takes the bowl with the words : "Blessed be ours"(quiet). The leading priest, kissing the bishop's hand, accepts the chalice from him with both hands, goes to the royal doors, where he proclaims, raising a small chalice : "Always, now and ever, and forever and ever...", and then goes to the altar: the deacon censes on the cup. Singers : "Amen. May our lips be filled...
After placing the cup on the altar, the first priest censes the Holy Gifts, and a candle is lit before the Holy Gifts.
End of Liturgy
The protodeacon, having prayed to the east and bowed to the bishop, comes out of the altar through the north door and says the litany : "I'm sorry, come on..."(if there is a protege-deacon, then he pronounces the litany). During the litany, the bishop with the priests folds the antimis, the first priest gives the bishop the Gospel, which, when pronouncing the exclamation : "For thou art our sanctification..." the bishop marks the antimis, and then, having kissed the Gospel, places it on the antimis.
Singers : "Amen." Bishop: " Let's leave in peace". Singers: " About the name of the Lord».
The junior priest (if any, then a protege) kisses the throne and, bowing for the blessing of the bishop, proceeds through the royal doors and stands in the middle, below the pulpit.
Protodeacon (or protege deacon) ): “Let us pray to the Lord". Singers: " Lord have mercy".
The priest reads the ambo prayer : "Bless the Lord, who bless Thee..." The protodeacon or protege deacon, during prayer, stands in front of the icon of the Savior, raising his right hand with the orarion.
The deacon, having prayed to the east, stands on the left side of the altar, folds his hands crosswise on the edge of the altar and lays his head on them. The bishop blesses him over the head and reads a prayer over him : "The fulfillment of the law and the prophets..." The deacon is baptized, kisses the altar, and, having bowed to the bishop, goes to the altar to consume the Holy Gifts.
The protodeacon, at the end of the prayer behind the ambo, enters the altar through the southern door to the high place, crosses himself and makes a bow; the priest, having read the prayer behind the ambo, goes through the royal gates to the altar, kisses the altar, stands in his place and, together with the protodeacon, bows to the bishop.
Singers: " Be the name of the Lord..." The bishop delivers a sermon.
The bishop, blessing the people in the royal doors with both hands, says: God bless you..."
Singers : "Glory, and now." "Lord have mercy" (three times). " Lord, bless."
The bishop, facing the people, pronounces a dismissal, holding a trikirion and a dikirion in his hands, and, after signing the prayers with a cross in the form of a cross, enters the altar, kisses the altar and takes off the sacred garments (in front of the altar or to the right of it).
Singers : "Is polla..." and perennial : "Great Lord...»
The priests, having kissed the throne and bowed to the bishop, also take off the sacred garments.
The subdeacons, having put the trikirion and dikirion in place, remove from the bishop sacred garments and put them on a platter. The protodeacon reads the prayers laid down at the same time (“ Now let go…” troparia, etc., release the small one). The bishop puts on a cassock, puts on a panagia, puts on a mantle and a hood, and takes the rosary. After a small leave, the bishop blesses all those present in the altar with a general blessing and proceeds to the royal gates for salt. The assistant gives him a rod, the bishop prays, turning to the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God. The choristers sing : "Tone despotin..." The bishop blesses the people with a general blessing from the pulpit, then from the pulpit or from the pulpit he blesses each of the people individually.
After the blessing, the bishop goes to the western doors, stands on the eagle, gives the rod to the assistant, the subdeacons remove the mantle from him.
About ringing
The ringing for the liturgy in the big bell begins at the appointed time. When the bishop approaches the temple, there is a ringing "in all" (trezvon): when the bishop enters the temple, the ringing "in all" stops and continues to one bell until the bishop's vestments begin.
At the beginning of the 6th hour - ringing "in all"; if there is an initiation into a surplice or a subdeacon, the ringing begins after the bishop has read the prayers.
While singing: I believe..." in one bell : "Worthy..." - 12 strokes.
During the communion of the laity - ringing to the prayer service.
At the exit of the bishop from the temple - ringing "in all".
About Eaglets
The eagle is spread under the feet of the bishop so that the head of the eagle is turned in the direction in which the bishop will face. In the altar the eagles are laid by the subdeacons, on the salt and in other places of the temple there is a helper.
Before the bishop arrives at the temple, the assistant lays the eagles on the salt in front of the royal doors, in front of the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, temple or festive, in front of the pulpit and at the entrance to the temple from the narthex, where the bishop will meet. When, upon meeting, the bishop passes to the pulpit, the assistant takes the eagle at the entrance and spreads it on a cloudy place; when the bishop ascends the solea, the assistant takes the eagle from the place where the bishop stood and lays it on the edge of the ambo with his head to the west. The priest-bearer removes the orlets from the salt and ambo when the bishop leaves for the cloudy place (pulpit). In front of the small entrance, the subdeacons lay eagles in the altar around the altar and at half the distance between the altar and the altar. During the small entrance, the assistant puts an eagle on the edge of the pulpit (with the head of the eagle to the west), the other one - in the middle between the royal gates and the pulpit (to the east) and removes them after the prayer of the bishop : "Look down from heaven, God..." After the bishop has set the altar, the subdeacons remove the eagles, leaving two or three eagles in front of the altar and laying one on the high place. During the reading of the Gospel, an eagle is spread on the salt in front of the lectern. Before the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, eagles are placed in the royal gates in front of the altar and against the left front corner of the throne, and when the pulpit is taken away, this eagle is removed, and the eagle is spread at the right front corner of the throne). During the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, the eagle in the royal gates moves a step or two to the west to receive the Holy Gifts and then to fall. At the words : "Let's love each other..." an eagle is placed at the right front corner of the throne, and while the bishop is standing on this eagle, the eagle is removed in front of the throne. At the end of singing : "I believe..." an eagle is laid on the end of the pulpit; to the proclamation : "And let there be mercy ..." - in the royal gates; by singing : "Our Father..." - also. (On the exclamation: " And may there be mercy ... " an eagle is supposed to be at the left front corner of the throne, if there is a consecration to the deacon; after the protege goes around the throne and takes away the pulpit, he is removed, and the eagle is spread at the right front corner of the throne.) Before the communion of the people, the eagle is supposed to be where the bishop will take communion. According to the prayer behind the ambo, eagles are laid in front of the royal doors (for the holiday of the liturgy and for the prayer of the bishop after leaving the altar after removing the clothes), on the edge of the ambo - for a common blessing; on the western lower step of the pulpit (usually also on the edge of the pulpit) - to bless people; at the exit from the temple - where the bishop will take off his mantle.
Consecrations and Awards
The rite of initiation into a reader and a singer
The reader and the singer are the lowest degrees of the church clergy, which, as preparatory, must be passed by everyone who is preparing to take the holy orders. Initiation (chirotesia) as a reader, singer, and subdeacon is not a sacrament, but only a solemn rite of selection of the most worthy in piety from among the laity to serve in church services.
The dedication takes place in the middle of the church before the beginning of the liturgy. After the bishop's vestments, before reading the hours, the subdeacons lead the chosen reader and singer to the middle of the church. He bows three times to the altar, and then, turning, three times to the bishop. Approaching the bishop, he bows his head, which he overshadows with the sign of the cross and, laying his hands on the initiate, reads two prayers. Since the reader and the singer simultaneously fulfill the position of the priest-bearer, in the first prayer the bishop asks God: “Thy Servant, come before the priest-bearer with Your Holy Sacrament, deigned, decorate with Your undefiled and immaculate clothes.” Then they sing the troparia to the apostles: “Holy apostles, pray to the merciful God, that forgiveness will give our souls forgiveness”, then to the saints, compilers of the liturgies - St. Your broadcast has gone out to all the earth ... ”, St. Grigory Dvoeslov: “The pastoral flute of the theology of your rhetoricians, defeat the trumpets ...”, on “Glory, and now” the troparion is sung: “Through the prayers, Lord, all the saints and the Mother of God, give us peace and have mercy on us, as One is generous.
If the initiation into the reader and singer is not performed at the liturgy, then before these troparia the bishop utters the exclamation: “Blessed is ours”, then it is sung: “O Heavenly King”, the Trisagion, “ Holy Trinity”, “Our Father”, and then the indicated troparia.
After the end of the troparia, the bishop cuts the hair of the priest-bearer in a cross-shaped fashion, saying at the first tonsure: “In the name of the Father,” “Amen,” replies the protodeacon, reader, or singer. At the second tonsure: "And the Son," "Amen," the same people say. At the third vows: “And the Holy Spirit”, “Amen”, - they answer him. And the tonsure ends with the words: “Always, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen".
As a sign of dedication to God, the reader or singer puts on a short phelonion. Then the bishop again blesses his head three times, laying his hand on it, reads the second prayer for him, as a reader and singer: “And give him, with all the wisdom and understanding of Your divine words, teaching and reading to create, keeping him in a blameless life.
The exclamations at the prayer of the catechumens are pronounced by the co-servants, also in order of seniority. Exclamation: " By the gift of Christ..." says the Bishop. Then the Bishop comes (after reading three times: “Now the powers of heaven”) and having bowed three times to St. offer, says: God cleanse me a sinner, gives the miter, and gives the censer to the protodeacon. The protodeacon creates throwing. Then the Bishop, taking the air with both hands, puts it on the frame. When the protodeacon departs, the first archimadrite or other primate of the priests approaches the Bishop and bows to him. The bishop, taking the paten with both hands, and kissing it, places it on the head of the archimandrite, without saying anything. And the archimandrite kisses the hand of the Bishop, supported by the deacons. Then another archimandrite comes, or hegumen, or protopresbyter, or priest, and after bowing, he receives St. The chalice kisses him and then the Bishop's hand. Others carry a cross, a liar, a spear, a lip, etc., which are made from sacred vessels, and kiss the hand of the Bishop. The archimandrite exits through the north door, followed by two deacons carrying ripides above St. diskos and blowing them. Then follows another archimandrite with St. rubbing, without ripid. The rest of the deacons go out with a miter and omophorion. The protodeacon follows the deacons with censers. Outside, in front of the north door, two candlesticks are waiting, which are rushing ahead. Also come out: a staff-bearer with a pastor's staff and a primikirium (priest-bearer) with a lit lamp in front of all those walking. The protodeacon and archimandrites say nothing as they march. And the reader comes out ... (And the reader comes out carrying a rod, and puts a lamp before the royal doors, and the Bishop is bowed: and they stand on both sides of the royal doors. The deacons also come carrying a miter and the Bishop kisses her, and enter the altar through the left door. Other deacons wear omophorion, and the Bishop kisses the omophorion and enters the altar through the right door.) The protodeacon, turning to the Bishop, censes the Bishop. The bishop stands in front of the royal doors and, taking a censer, censes St. Secrets thrice, with fear and reverence, and having bowed, accepts the paten from the head of the archimandrite and kisses him, and shows him to the people, without saying anything. Then entering the altar, silently, puts him on the throne. The second priest with the Chalice enters the altar without saying anything either. And the Bishop puts him on the throne according to custom. The other clergy enter the altar without saying anything. The bishop, from the same place where he stands, blesses them with his hand, and takes the covers from the diskos, and from the Chalice, and lays them on the edge of the throne according to custom. He takes the air from the shoulder of the protodeacon, puts it on the censer and silently covers the paten and chalice with fragrance: and taking the censer, only the Holy One censes, immediately gives the censer, not censing anyone else. Then he proclaims the prayer of St. with bows. When the Bishop puts on a miter, autumn happens as usual.
The deacon, leaving the altar, and standing in his usual place, proclaims the litany: Let's perform the evening prayer, and others... The bishop prays: Even unspeakable..."After prayer, the deacon says:" Intercede, save, have mercy”, “This evening is perfect, holy” and others. According to the litany, the Bishop proclaims: And vouchsafe us, Lord." People: " Our Father"(and so on - see Arch. Theologian). The bishop, on the covered Divine Gifts, putting his hand, touches the Life-Giving Bread, with reverence and fear. The deacon, girded with an orarium cross-shaped and, bowing his head, says: Wonmem"(Royal doors close). The bishop proclaims: Pre-sanctified Holy of Holies." Singers: " One Holy. The bishop removes St. air. Then the deacon enters St. altar. The protodeacon stands next to the Bishop and says: Shatter the lord of St. Lamb". The bishop breaks the Lamb into four parts with great attention, saying: Shattered... "And puts a particle in the Chalice, without saying anything. And the protodeacon pours warmth into the chalice without saying anything. Then the Bishop makes forgiveness with his co-servants. Taking one particle of the Holy Mysteries in his right hand, and bowing his head, he prays according to custom: I believe Lord... Also: " Your secret supper...», "Not to court..." Then he goes to St. diskos and partakes of the Holy Body and Blood of the Lord with tenderness and reverence, saying: “ Honest and All-Holy and Most Pure Body and Blood of the Lord... Then, taking his lip, he wipes his hand, saying: "Glory to You God"(thrice). And kissing the lip, puts it in its place. Taking St. Chalice with both hands, with a cover, drinks from it, without saying anything. Then he wipes his mouth and St. The chalice is a patron, which he holds in his hands, and places it on St. meal. Then the Bishop puts on the miter. The protodeacon calls on one of the archimandrites, saying: Get started." And then one archimandrite comes up from the left side of the Bishop, bowing his head, and folding his palms crosswise (right palm on top) and says: “ Behold, I come to the Immortal King and our God, and teach me the Most Reverend Master, the Honest, and the All-Holy, and the Most Pure Body and Blood of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ. The bishop, taking with his right hand, with three fingers, a particle of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, puts into the hands of the incoming archimandrite or priest, saying: “ It is taught to you... the Honest and Most Pure and Immortal Body and Blood of the Lord...» The archimadrite must commune the deacons and teach them the Holy Body and Blood of Christ. From St. but the Bishop himself gives the chalice to the archimandrites, abbots, protopresbyters and priests, without saying anything. The archimandrite, to whom the Bishop will order without saying anything, serves as a deacon from the Chalice. After Communion, the Bishop, having accepted the Anaphora, washes his hands and mouth, stands near St. throne and says the prayer of thanksgiving: Thank You Savior...» The deacon (who will be instructed to consume the Holy Gifts) does not drink from the Chalice at this moment, but after the prayer behind the ambo and after consuming the remaining particles of the Holy Mysteries. The protodeacon took St. diskos, raises it above St. With a chalice, and wipes with a lip with great attention, putting the Holy Mystery inside the holy. Chalice, and kissing St. diskos, believes about St. Chalice. Then, taking the cover, covers St. Chalice. On St. but the paten puts down the star and the covers, and the air, without saying anything, and bows three times. And the royal doors open. And taking the Bishop of St. The chalice, and having kissed it, gives it to the protodeacon. The protodeacon, having received him with both hands, kisses the hand of the Bishop and exits through the royal gates, raising St. Chalice and says: " With the fear of God... "The singers sing:" bless the Lord...» Then the Bishop comes out of the royal doors, blesses the people with trikiriya and dikiriya. He speaks fluently: God save your people..." Singers: " Is pollla these despots" slowly and sweetly. And he turns again to the Holy Meal, overshadows the co-servants, and gives trikiriya and dikiriya. Then he takes the Holy Chalice from the hands of the protodeacon and sets it at the Holy Trapeza, accepting the censer, only the Holy One censes (thrice) and immediately gives the censer away, no one censers. Then the bishop receives St. diskos and lays it on the head of the protodeacon. The protodeacon, accepting it with both hands, retreats into the sentence without saying anything, and puts it there. The bishop, having accepted the Holy Chalice and kissed it, gives it to the first archimandrite or abbot, saying quietly: “ Blessed be ours." The archimandrite, accepting him with both hands and kissing him and the hand of the Bishop, turns to the royal doors, facing the people, and says in a loud voice: “ Always, now and ever, and forever and ever." Goes to St. proposal, supported by two deacons, and places it there. Singers: " Amen" "Let the lips be filled... "Then the protodeacon leaves through the northern doors, and stopping at the usual place, he says:" I'm sorry, come on... "The bishop, making the cross with the Gospel over the antimension, proclaims:" Like you are sanctification... "Singers:" Amen". Bishop: " We'll leave in peace." Singers: " About the name of the Lord. Protodeacon: " Let's pray to the Lord." Choirs: "Lord have mercy". The priest comes out, stands in his usual place and says the prayer beyond the ambo: Lord Almighty...” The bishop says the final prayer: “ Lord our God... "And so on according to the order, as it is written in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Then leave is pronounced: “ Our true Christ, with the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, and others by day, remembering the saint of this day (the name of the rivers). "... And even in St. our father Gregory the Dialogist, and all the saints, will have mercy and save us, like a good and philanthropist. This holiday is read until Passion Week: a special holiday is said on Passion Week.
Every Orthodox person meets with members of the clergy who speak publicly or lead a service in the church. At first glance, you can understand that each of them wears some special rank, because it’s not for nothing that they have differences in clothes: different color robes, headdresses, some have jewelry made of precious stones, while others are more ascetic. But not everyone is given to understand the ranks. To find out the main ranks of clergy and monks, consider the ranks Orthodox Church Ascending.
It should immediately be said that all ranks are divided into two categories:
- Secular clergy. These include ministers who may have a family, wife, and children.
- Black clergy. These are those who accepted monasticism and renounced worldly life.
Secular clergy
The description of people who serve the Church and the Lord comes from Old Testament. The scripture says that before the birth of Christ, the prophet Moses appointed people who were supposed to communicate with God. It is with these people that today's hierarchy of ranks is connected.
Altar boy (novice)
This person is a lay assistant to a clergyman. His responsibilities include:
If necessary, a novice can ring the bells and read prayers, but it is strictly forbidden for him to touch the throne and walk between the altar and the Royal Doors. The altar boy wears the most ordinary clothes, he puts a surplice on top.
This person is not elevated to the rank of clergy. He must read prayers and words from scripture, interpret them ordinary people and explain to children the basic rules of the Christian life. For special zeal, the clergyman may ordain the psalmist as a subdeacon. From church clothes, he is allowed to wear a cassock and a skuf (velvet hat).
This person also does not have a holy order. But he can wear a surplice and orarion. If the bishop blesses him, then the subdeacon can touch the throne and enter the altar through the Royal Doors. Most often, the subdeacon helps the priest perform the service. He washes his hands during divine services, gives him the necessary items (tricirium, ripids).
Church orders of the Orthodox Church
All the ministers of the church listed above are not clergymen. These are simple peaceful people who want to get closer to the church and the Lord God. They are accepted to their positions only with the blessing of the priest. To consider church orders Orthodox Church let's start from the lowest.
The position of a deacon has remained unchanged since ancient times. He, just as before, must help in worship, but he is forbidden to independently perform church service and represent the Church in society. His main duty- reading the gospel. At present, the need for the services of a deacon disappears, so their number in churches is steadily declining.
This is the most important deacon at the cathedral or church. Previously, this dignity was received by the protodeacon, who was distinguished by a special zeal for service. To determine that you have a protodeacon in front of you, you should look at his vestments. If he is wearing an orarion with the words “Holy! Holy! Holy," then it is he who is in front of you. But at present, this dignity is given only after the deacon has served in the church for at least 15–20 years.
It is these people who have a beautiful singing voice, know many psalms, prayers, and sing at various church services.
This word came to us from Greek and in translation means "priest". In the Orthodox Church, this is the smallest rank of priest. The bishop gives him the following powers:
- perform worship and other sacraments;
- carry the teachings to people;
- conduct communion.
It is forbidden for a priest to consecrate antimensions and conduct the sacrament of ordination of priesthood. Instead of a hood, his head is covered with a kamilavka.
This dignity is given as a reward for some merit. The archpriest is the most important among the priests and concurrently the rector of the temple. During the celebration of the sacraments, the archpriests put on a robe and stole. In one liturgical institution, several archpriests can serve at once.
This dignity is given only by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia as a reward for the most kind and useful deeds that a person has done in favor of the Russian Orthodox Church. This is the highest rank in the white clergy. It will no longer be possible to earn a rank higher, since then there are ranks that are forbidden to start a family.
Nevertheless, many, in order to get a promotion, give up worldly life, family, children, and go permanently into the monastic life. In such families, the spouse most often supports her husband and also goes to the monastery to take a monastic vow.
Black clergy
It includes only those who have taken monastic vows. This hierarchy of ranks is more detailed than those who preferred family life monastic.
This is a monk who is a deacon. He helps the clergy conduct the sacraments and perform services. For example, he takes out the vessels necessary for rituals or makes prayer requests. The most senior hierodeacon is called "archdeacon".
This is a person who is a priest. He is allowed to perform various sacred ordinances. This rank can be received by priests from the white clergy who have decided to become monks, and those who have undergone ordination (giving a person the right to perform the sacraments).
This is the rector or abbess of the Russian Orthodox monastery or temple. Previously, most often, this rank was given as a reward for services to the Russian Orthodox Church. But since 2011, the patriarch decided to give this rank to any abbot of the monastery. At the consecration, the abbot is given a staff, with which he must go around his possessions.
This is one of the highest ranks in Orthodoxy. Upon receiving it, the clergyman is also awarded a miter. The archimandrite wears a black monastic robe, which distinguishes him from other monks in that he has red tablets on it. If, moreover, the archimandrite is the abbot of any temple or monastery, he has the right to carry a wand - a staff. He should be addressed as "Your Reverend".
This dignity belongs to the category of bishops. When they were ordained, they received the Most High Grace of the Lord and therefore they can perform any sacred rites, even ordain deacons. According to church laws, they have equal rights, the archbishop is considered the eldest. According to ancient tradition, only a bishop can bless a service with the help of an antimis. This is a square scarf, in which part of the relics of a saint is sewn.
Also, this clergyman controls and takes care of all the monasteries and churches that are located on the territory of his diocese. The common address for a bishop is "Vladyka" or "Your Eminence".
This is a spiritual order high rank or the highest title of a bishop, the most ancient on earth. He submits only to the patriarch. It differs from other ranks in the following details in clothing:
- has a blue mantle (the bishops have red ones);
- cowl white color with a cross trimmed with precious stones (the rest have a black hood).
This dignity is given for very high merit and is a distinction.
The highest rank in the Orthodox Church, head priest country. The word itself combines two roots "father" and "power". He is elected at the Council of Bishops. This dignity is for life, only in the most rare cases is it possible to depose and excommunicate from. When the place of the patriarch is empty, a locum tenens is appointed temporary executor, who does everything that the patriarch should do.
This position bears responsibility not only for itself, but also for the entire Orthodox people of the country.
The ranks in the Orthodox Church in ascending order have their own clear hierarchy. Despite the fact that we call many clergy "father", each Orthodox Christian should know the main differences between ranks and positions.
Preliminary Instructions for the Rector of the Temple
1. Find out in advance at the Diocesan Office:
– the program for the visit of the Bishop to the parish (it is either determined by the Bishop himself, or, with the blessing of the Bishop, it is preliminarily drawn up by the Dean together with the rector and submitted to the Bishop for consideration);
- the composition and number of persons arriving with the Bishop (protodeacon, subdeacons, etc.);
- the color of the vestment (it is necessary to prepare the appropriate priestly and deacon vestments of the prescribed color, as well as air and covers (for the Liturgy), bookmarks in the altar Gospel and the Apostle, covers for the lecterns, etc.);
- the time of arrival of the Bishop. The rector, having learned this time, must inform the invited clergy, clergy of his church, parishioners and representatives of the administration (if they intend to attend the service) the time of their arrival at the church (the clergy no later than 1 hour before the appointed time of the meeting of the archpastor);
– whether there will be a litia (if the Bishop is supposed to serve an all-night vigil);
- the order of the meal.
2. Preparations concerning the choir.
It is necessary to think in advance which choir will sing at the bishop's service. If the temple has its own good choir, then it is necessary to personally check that the regent familiarizes himself with the charter of the bishop's service and conducts a sufficient number of rehearsals for clear, uninterrupted singing at the service. Otherwise, it is advisable to invite some other church choir that has experience in conducting a bishop's service. The local choir may sing on the left kliros. The rector organizes transport for the invited choir, informs the regent in advance of the time of the choir's arrival at the temple, and provides for a meal for the choir.
The charter of the bishop's all-night vigil is almost no different from the usual rite. Therefore, if the church choir is good, then even if it did not have experience in conducting hierarchical services, it can sing.
3. The Sacrament of Confession for those wishing to partake of Communion at the Liturgy celebrated by the Bishop.
Consideration should be given to the organization of the Sacrament of Confession, which, if possible, should be performed outside the service. If there are many people who want to take communion and it is difficult to complete confession before the beginning of the Liturgy, then you must either appoint a cleric of your church in advance, or invite a priest from another church to conduct the Sacrament of Confession in a place specially designated for this (either in the church itself or in another room).
It is highly undesirable to combine the bishop's service with the performance (even if in the chapel) of other rites, such as the funeral of the dead, a prayer service, the communion of babies after Baptism, the Sacrament of Marriage, etc. In view of the multitude of people, plate collection during the service is undesirable, it follows to abstain so as not to disturb the peace of prayer in the church.
4. Preparation of the premises of the altar and the temple for the bishop's service.
All items in the altar and in the temple must be cleaned and washed.
a) The Holy See:
- the best altar gospel is laid and the foundation is laid. It is necessary to check the appearance of the bookmark in the altar Gospel (as well as in the Apostle);
- if the altar crosses (there should be two of them) differ in their external decoration, then the best of them is placed according to left hand from the primate, (the instruction concerns the Liturgy, at the all-night vigil the best cross is placed to the right of the primate). If there are still altar crosses in the church, then they should also be prepared for the Liturgy (preferably on the altar) for the priests to take them out at the great entrance.
b) Altar:
– taking into account the number of clergy serving the Bishop at the Divine Liturgy and partaking of the laity, it is necessary to prepare the proper size of the prosphora for the lamb. In addition to the usual number of prosphora, two more large prosphora are prepared so that the Bishop can make a commemoration (if several bishops serve, then two prosphora are prepared for each of them);
- it is necessary to have a sufficient amount of church wine;
- you should prepare (if the church does not have it, then borrow it from another parish) sacred vessels of the proper size. If a large number of communicants is expected, then additional chalices, fees and liars must be provided.
c) Altar room:
- there is a tradition to supply a pulpit with a seat for the Bishop in the High Place. It is a kind of elevation on which a person can freely stand. It is recommended to take into account the following circumstance: if the room of the altar is spacious and the distance between the eastern side of the altar (or the seven-candlestick standing behind it) and the proposed pulpit is at least 1-1.5 m, then the pulpit can be arranged. In a small altar, a pulpit should not be made (the indication of a pulpit applies only to the Liturgy);
- if lithium is expected at the all-night vigil, then the best lithium device is prepared. It is necessary to take care of bread, wine, wheat, oil for lithium in advance. Before the service, the lithium device with all the substances should already be ready! It is necessary that there be enough bread to distribute to the people. New candles are handed out to the clergy at the polyeleos. A new candle for the Bishop is inserted into the best hand candlestick. A vessel with oil and a brush are being prepared for anointing the believers. It is advisable to consider in what places and which of the priests, along with the Bishop, will perform the anointing after the polyeleos. The bishop anoints at the main icon of the feast on the pulpit. With a large gathering of people, it will be necessary to put in the temple more lecterns with the icon of the holiday and prepare additional vessels with oil and brushes;
- in the altar, to the right of the primate's place at the inner side of the iconostasis, a seat is supplied. It can be a good chair with a back, or if one is not available, then a good chair. The seat is placed on a small carpet, if the altar is not completely covered with carpets (the instruction applies primarily to the all-night vigil, but it is advisable to organize this for the Liturgy as well);
- prepare two deacon candles;
- for the Liturgy, prepare the book of the Apostle in the altar, lay the laid conception;
- if, in addition to the protodeacon, one or more deacons are present at the service, then two censers are prepared. Care should be taken to ensure that there is a supply of coal and incense sufficient for the whole service;
- water should be prepared for washing the hands of the Bishop and the clergy (both at the Liturgy and at the All-Night Vigil), as well as for warmth and drinking. If there is no way to heat water in the altar, then it is good to prepare hot water in thermoses (with a margin for warmth and for a drink). If it is possible to heat water in the altar, it is necessary to have a kettle and a supply of water;
– clean towels must be available;
- you should have ladles, a knife for crushing antidoron and prosphora (at the Liturgy) or consecrated bread (at the all-night vigil), and, if possible, small prosphora (at the Liturgy for drinking the clergy);
– if possible, an iron and ironing table (board) should be available (not necessarily in the altar) before the service;
- vestments for the clergy: the rector either warns the invited clergy about the need to come with their vestments of the appropriate color, or prepares in advance (after checking whether everything is available) temple vestments according to the number of clergy serving;
- if the service will take place during the 1st week of Easter or on the holiday of Easter, then you should prepare an Easter three-candlestick with new candles;
- a tray with a cover under the altar cross should be ready.
d) Temple premises:
- at the Liturgy, at the Royal Doors, next to their pillars, two lecterns are supplied, on the right - with the icon of the Savior, on the left - with the icon of the Mother of God (see diagram 1). You don't need to do this during the all-night vigil.
- in the center of the temple, a cloud pulpit for the Bishop is supplied, in modern practice called the pulpit). Its dimensions may be different, but when designing its steps, it is necessary to take into account that it is easy to get on and off the pulpit and that the Bishop can stand freely on it, and also the seat standing behind him is placed. The pulpit is covered with a carpet.
- for use at the Liturgy, a seat for the Bishop is being prepared - a chair of medium height without a back. The seat is sheathed with a cover or a cover is placed on it. The seat is supplied to the left of the pulpit (Scheme 1). At the All-Night Vigil, there is no need to place the seat on the pulpit.
- carpets are laid as follows: in the altar, it is desirable to cover the entire space with carpets, or at least the space in front of the throne. The carpet path goes from the Royal Doors (if there is another carpet on the pulpit, then from the pulpit) to the pulpit. The pulpit, if not upholstered in cloth, is also covered with carpet. Further, the carpet path spreads from the pulpit to the porch inclusive. A carpet is laid at the entrance to the main part of the temple (see Diagram 1).
5. About the bell ringing.
Blagovest begins 15 minutes before the expected time of the Bishop's arrival. When the car with the Bishop appears, a chime is heard, which continues until the beginning of the service. During the service, the ringing is made according to the Charter. At the procession - a chime, at stops the ringing stops.
6. Proskomedia.
It is performed before the arrival of the Bishop by a pre-appointed priest and deacon from among the serving clergy. They make entrance prayers, put on all the sacred clothes and perform the full rite of the proskomedia, including the protection of the Holy Gifts and the full censing of the temple. The dean and the rector must personally control that the lamb is prepared in the proper size and that a sufficient amount of the holy compound is poured into the Chalice.
It is safer to appoint an experienced priest to perform proskomidia.
According to the Charter, the 3rd and 6th hours are supposed to be read after the vestments of the Bishop, but, according to the universally established practice, the hours are celebrated before the arrival of the Bishop at the temple. The rector appoints in advance a reader who will read the hours during the proskomedia, and warns him that the petition: “Bless in the Name of the Lord, Father” is replaced by: “In the Name of the Lord (Highly) Most Reverend Vladyka, bless.” Accordingly, the exclamation of the priest: “Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers...” is replaced by: “Through the prayers of our Holy Master...”.
7. Regardless of the ordinal place occupied by the rector in the priestly rank in worship, the rector:
- together with the dean meets the saint at the entrance to the temple (more precisely, at the place where the car stopped). The bishop gets out of the car, blesses the two meeting subdeacons. Then the dean and rector take a blessing from the Bishop. Perhaps the presentation of flowers, a meeting with bread and salt. Usually they are presented by the head of the temple or one of the respected parishioners, or children;
– keeps order in the temple and on the kliros during the service;
- Responsible at the Liturgy for organizing the communion of the laity, appointing priests to crush the particles of the Holy Body of Christ. Priests appointed to break up the Holy Mysteries begin to do so immediately upon their communion;
- at the Liturgy, he brings a drink to the Bishop after Communion, and at the all-night vigil at the beginning of the Six Psalms - consecrated bread and wine (prepared by the subdeacons).
- at the Liturgy, coordinate with the Bishop (at the moment when he serves a drink or when he takes a blessing during the sacrament) the procedure for completing the Liturgy. If a procession, a prayer service, a funeral service or the consecration of fruits is supposed, then he is responsible for organizing these rites.
- at the all-night vigil, he is responsible for organizing the anointing of believers after the polyeleos.
Usually, when the Bishop visits churches, the dean of the given district is present. The rector is obliged both before the service and during the service to act in a coordinated manner with the dean, consulting with him and obeying his advice and orders.
Instructions for the clergy
1. All clergy must be in the temple one hour before the arrival of the Bishop.
2. Each priest checks for the presence of his full priestly vestments.
3. At the meeting of the Bishop, priests put on cassocks, crosses and headdresses (hoods or kamilavkas).
4. The veil of the Royal Doors must be drawn back, but the gates themselves are closed.
5. The priest who performed the proskomedia, in full priestly vestments, takes a tray with a cover and places on it the best altar cross, turning it with the handle to his left hand. At the All-Night Vigil, the cross is carried out by the priest, who will begin the All-Night Vigil. In this case, he is dressed in a phelonion, epitrachelion, handrails and a headdress.
6. 20 minutes before the expected arrival of the Bishop, all priests stand to the right and left of the throne in two rows according to seniority of position, awards and consecration. A priest with a cross on a tray takes the primate's seat. The protodeacon and the 1st deacon take 2 censers and a supply of incense, the 2nd and 3rd deacons take the trikirium and dikirion. All the clergy are baptized, applied to the throne and proceed to the salt through the southern and northern doors, respectively. A priest with a cross stands in front of the Royal Doors, the rest of the priests and deacons stand in a row on the right and left facing the Royal Doors. All the clergy cross themselves three times, bow (one row to the other) and walk in two rows along the edges of the carpet path to the entrance to the temple. A priest with a cross walks in the middle of the carpet and stands facing the entrance to the temple at the level of the last pair of priests (if there are a lot of priests, then at the level of 5-6 pairs). The rest of the priests become facing each other (see Diagram 3). The deacons stand after the last pair of priests, in one row, facing the entrance to the temple. All clergy are baptized and bow one row to another. The Rector and Rector go out to the porch, where, together with two subdeacons, they await the arrival of the Bishop.
7. With regard to priestly leadership during worship, the practice is as follows:
The 1st priest can be both the dean and the rector, and, if the dean considers it possible, the oldest priest in terms of awards (consecration). The dean must be sure that this priest is ready to conduct the episcopal service first in the priestly rank.
8. There is a practice of meeting the Bishop at the Liturgy by priests dressed in full vestments. It is justified only in three situations: a) Patriarchal worship, b) when the altar is small in size, and there are many clergy, and it may be very inconvenient to dress all the priests at the same time, c) at the consecration of the temple, since the altar is occupied by objects prepared for consecration .
Bishop's meeting
The bishop enters the temple. The protodeacon proclaims: “Wisdom” and further reads: “It is worthy” (or worthy), “Glory, And now”, “Lord, have mercy” three times, “(Highly) Most Reverend Vladyka, bless.” At this time, the protodeacon and the 1st deacon are constantly censing the Bishop. The dean and the rector take their place in the row of priests. The bishop stands on the eagle and gives the staff to the subdeacon. The bishop and all priests are baptized three times. The priests bow to the Bishop, who blesses them with a common fall. The bishop puts on a mantle.
A priest with a cross on a tray approaches the Bishop. The bishop takes the cross, and the priest kisses the bishop's hand and retires to his former place. All the priests, in turn, in order of seniority, approach the Bishop, cross themselves, kiss the cross and the Bishop's hand, then retire to their places. The priest comes last with a tray, kisses the cross and the hand of the Bishop. The bishop kisses the cross and places it on the tray. The Priest kisses the Bishop's hand, immediately goes to the Altar through the northern doors and places the cross on the altar. This priest does not go to the Liturgy, to the entrance prayers, since he has already performed them before the proskomedia.
The bishop and all the priests are baptized again, and the priests bow to the Bishop, who overshadows them with a common blessing.
Following the All-Night Vigil
After kissing the cross at the meeting, the Bishop proceeds to the pulpit, then leaves it and venerates the icon of the feast. He goes up to the pulpit, turns around and blesses the people on three sides. The priests follow the Bishop in two rows to the pulpit, they do not venerate the icon, standing in front of the pulpit, they bow in response to the blessing of the Bishop. The bishop turns and enters the altar through the Royal Doors, which are opened by the subdeacons. Priests simultaneously with the Bishop enter the altar through the side doors. The bishop and priests venerate the altar and take their places.
At the all-night vigil, the priest who went out to meet the cross enters the altar, places the cross on the altar, goes to the High Place and takes the censer from the subdeacon or protodeacon. The protodeacon enters the altar, gives the subdeacon or priest the censer, accepts the deacon's candle from the subdeacon, and stands next to the priest, to his right. The bishop enters the altar and venerates the altar. The priest, standing slightly to the right of the center of the High Place, asks the Bishop's blessing on the censer: "Bless, (Highly) Most Reverend Vladyka, the censer." Then the priest, preceded by the protodeacon, performs the usual censing of the altar. The bishop censes three times three times. The protodeacon goes to the pulpit and proclaims: "Arise." At this time, all the clergy gather in the High Place. The protodeacon returns to the altar. At the exclamation: “Glory to the Saints...” all the clergy in the High Place, at the sign of the protodeacon, are baptized, bow to the Bishop and sing: “Come, let us bow down ...”. At the end of the singing, everyone crosses themselves again, bows to the Bishop and disperses to their places. The protodeacon gives the candle to the 1st deacon, who walks in front of the priest who performs the full censing of the temple.
There is a common tradition when two deacons accompany the censing priest. In this matter, one should be guided by the instructions of the protodeacon.
Upon returning to the altar, the priest censes the altar, moves to the right and stands with the deacon against the Bishop. The priest censes the Bishop three times, the deacon three times, and gives the censer to the deacon. The deacon censes the priest three times, and the priest and the deacon cross themselves, bow to the Bishop, and retire to their places.
The royal doors are closed by subdeacons. The protodeacon pronounces the litany of peace. The priest makes an exclamation after the litany, and after the end of the exclamation he bows to the Bishop.
This instruction also applies to all exclamations made by the priest in the service.
After the exclamation of the peaceful litany, the priest, the protodeacon and all the rest of the clergy who are in the altar come under the blessing to the Bishop.
Before going out to pronounce any litany, the deacon is baptized in the High Place and bows not to the priest, but to the Bishop.
The incense on “Lord, I have called...” is performed by a couple of junior deacons. They take the censer, cross themselves in the High Place, turn to face the Bishop, raise the censer, and the eldest of the two deacons says: “Bless, (Highly) Most Reverend Vladyka, the censer.” The bishop blesses the censer. Deacons burn incense according to the usual scheme, the bishop is incense at first three times three times, and at the end of the incense three times.
During the singing of the stichera to: “Lord, I have called ...” all the priests, and if there are many priests, then those to whom the dean instructs, put on stole, cuffs, phelonions and headdresses. At the end of the censing, all the robed priests stand near the throne in two rows according to seniority. The senior priest (usually the dean or rector) becomes the primate.
Evening entrance
After the canonarch proclaims: “And now,” the junior deacons open the Royal Doors. All the priests and the protodeacon kiss the altar and go to the High Place. The protodeacon in the High Place receives the censer from the subdeacon. All the priests and the protodeacon cross themselves to the east, turn and bow to the Bishop. The protodeacon takes the blessing on the censer from the Bishop. All the clergy go to the salt. The protodeacon censes local icons, enters the altar, goes to the right, censes the Bishop three times thrice, goes to the Royal Doors and asks the Bishop for his blessing to enter. The bishop blesses the entrance; Next, the protodeacon enters the altar, censes the throne from four sides and gives the censer to the subdeacon. All priests are baptized, bow to the primate and enter the altar through the Royal Doors, each kissing the icon on the Royal Doors, which is on his side. The primate, as usual, kisses the icons at the Royal Doors, but the people do not bless with their hands, but only bow slightly to him.
This instruction also applies to all those moments of the service when the priest is supposed to overshadow the people with his hand.
All priests and protodeacon are baptized, venerate the altar and go to the High Place. At the High Place, all the clergy are baptized and bow to the Bishop. The choir finishes singing: “Quiet light.” The 1st Priest and Protodeacon bow to the Bishop. Protodeacon: "Let's listen." Priest: "Peace to all" (without the overshadowing of the people by hand). The protodeacon proclaims, according to custom, the prokeimenon. After him, all the priests and the protodeacon are baptized, bow to the Bishop and disperse to their places. Subdeacons close the Royal Doors. If there are paroemias, then the protodeacon, standing at the throne, gives the exclamations laid on them. The priest who began the service takes the primate's seat. The rest of the priests put aside their felons and move away from the throne to their places. The service then proceeds as usual.
If a litany is supposed, then at the petitionary litany, all the priests, dressed in stole, handrails and headdresses, stand in two rows on the sides of the throne. The priest who stood at the Throne also lays down the phelonion and takes his place in the row of priests. Two deacons, appointed by the protodeacon, take the censer at the High Place at the subdeacons. The bishop takes the chair. After the exclamation: “Be strong…” the deacons open the Royal Doors. The bishop and all the clergy are baptized twice, venerated at the throne, they are baptized once more, and the hierarch blesses the clergy with a common fall. At this moment, the deacons take the blessing on the censer. The bishop proceeds to the Litiya through the Royal Doors, all the priests and deacons through the side doors. After the Bishop left the altar, the Royal Doors are immediately closed by the deacons. Deacons with censers perform incense.
Regarding the scheme of incense on lithium, practice is very heterogeneous. Considering that we aim to show the practice of the Moscow diocese, we will describe in detail the scheme adopted in the Assumption Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent. The deacons burn the altar, the iconostasis, the festive icon (three times three times), the Bishop (three times three times) and the clergy (from the middle of the temple), the kliros and the people (from the pulpit), the Royal Doors, the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, the icon of the holiday (three times ) and Bishop (three times). Further, the deacons cross themselves, bow to the Bishop and give the censer to the subdeacon, and they themselves stand in line with the other deacons.
Then lithium goes in the usual rank. At the exclamation of the “Our Father”: “For Yours is the Kingdom...” the subdeacons open the Royal Doors. At the same exclamation, the protodeacon accepts the censer from the subdeacon and asks the blessing of the Bishop for censing. During the singing of the troparion, the protodeacon censes the lithium apparatus around three times, then censes the icon of the feast, the Bishop three times thrice, the clergy, then crosses themselves, bows to the Bishop and gives the censer to the subdeacon. At the end of the prayer for the consecration of bread, wheat, wine and oil, all the clergy (they listened to the prayer, taking off their hats) are baptized, bow to the Bishop, go into the altar through the side doors (the younger ones go in front) and stand in two rows near the throne. One verse before the end of the singing of the 33rd Psalm by the choir, all the clergy turn to face the Royal Doors (the 1st pair of priests comes closer to the Royal Doors), and everyone bows in response to the blessing of the Bishop. The bishop overshadows the people with the words: “The blessing of the Lord…” and enters the altar. The bishop and all the clergy are baptized, applied to the throne. All the clergy bow to the Bishop in response to his blessing. Deacons close the Royal Doors. The bishop retires to his place and undresses himself. The rector brings the blessed bread and wine to the Bishop (the subdeacons prepare it on the tray). The priest who began the service becomes the primate, and the same priest, during the reading of the second part of the Six Psalms, goes out to the solea to the Royal Doors to read the prescribed secret prayers.
Further, the all-night vigil continues with the usual rite. The polyeleos performed by the hierarchal service does not have any special differences from that performed by the conciliar hierarchical service. The anointing of all the clergy is performed by the Bishop, standing on the pulpit. After the anointing of the clergy, all the clergy are baptized, bow to the Bishop and go to the altar. In the altar, all the clergy are baptized, kiss the throne, bow to the Bishop from the Royal Doors and disperse to their places. If the anointing of the faithful is expected from more than one icon, then the appointed priests go to their places and perform the anointing.
The deacon, who pronounces the small litany during the reading of the canon, leaves the solea from the northern door, stands in the center of the Royal Doors, is baptized, bows to the Bishop and says the litany. The priest who began the service, standing in the altar, makes an exclamation and at the end of it bows from the Royal Doors to the Bishop. During the exclamation, the deacon moves to the right to the icon of the Savior, and at the end of the exclamation he also crosses himself and, together with the priest, bows to the Bishop. If during the small litany after the 6th ode of the canon the Bishop continues to anoint the faithful, then the protodeacon, with a censer in his hands, comes out of the northern door onto the salt and stands in front of the icon of the Mother of God. At the exclamation of the litany, the protodeacon is baptized, bows to the Bishop, together with the priest and deacon, who spoke the litany, and asks the Bishop for a blessing on the censer.
After the Bishop returns to the altar after anointing the people, the deacons close the Royal Doors.
During the singing of the stichera on “Praise...” all the priests, dressed in phelonions, stand in two rows on the sides of the Throne. The Bishop becomes the primate. On “And Now” the deacons open the Royal Doors. The subdeacons serve the Bishop with trikirion and dikirion. The bishop proclaims: “Glory to Thee...”, goes to the pulpit and overshadows the people on three sides. All priests turn to face the Royal Doors. The 1st pair of priests goes to the middle of the space between the throne and the Royal Doors and becomes facing the Royal Doors. The bishop turns and, standing on the pulpit, overshadows the clergy with dikirium and trikirium. All the clergymen bow to the Bishop and retire to their places. The bishop enters the altar and gives the candles to the subdeacons. At the end of the singing of the Trisagion, after the doxology, the protodeacon, the 1st deacon, and the subdeacons, with the dikirion and trikirion, are baptized in the High Place, and bow to the Bishop. The deacons proceed to the solea to pronounce the litanies. At the special litany, at the commemoration of the name of the serving Bishop, all the priests are baptized and bow to the Bishop. Before the exclamation: “Peace to all,” and before the Bishop leaves the altar to pronounce the dismissal, the Bishop blesses the clergy, and they bow to him in response.
After the dismissal of Matins, the Bishop and all the priests are baptized, kiss the throne, the Bishop overshadows the clergy with a common blessing, and the clergy bow to the Bishop. Deacons close the Royal Doors. The bishop and all the clergy are exposed. The priest who began the service, in an epitrachelion, handrails and a headdress, takes the primate's place and ends, according to custom, the 1st hour.
During the reading of the prayer of the hour, the Bishop and all the clergy are baptized and kiss the throne. Subdeacons open the Royal Doors. The bishop proceeds from the altar through the Royal Doors, and the priests and deacons through the side doors. All the clergy stand in two rows in front of the pulpit facing the altar. The priest, standing at the icon of the Mother of God facing the people, takes the leave of the hour, goes to the altar, undresses, leaves the altar and takes his place in the row of the clergy. After the dismissal of the 1st hour, the choir sings: “Lord, have mercy” (three times). The bishop, standing on the pulpit in a mantle, speaks a word to the faithful. After that, everyone sings the troparion or the glorification of the feast, and the Bishop, preceded by the clergy, goes to the end of the temple. At the end of the temple, the clergy stand in two rows facing each other. The bishop stands on an eagle, and the subdeacons take off his mantle. The choir sings: “The affirmation of those who hope in Thee ...” (irmos of the 3rd song of the canon for the Presentation of the Lord, tone 3). The bishop and all the clergy are baptized three times, and the bishop overshadows the people on three sides. The choir sings: "Ispolla." The bishop, accompanied by the dean and the rector, leaves the temple.
Follow the Divine Liturgy
The bishop walks along the carpet to the pulpit, the priests in 2 rows follow the bishop, the elders in front. The deacons go to the altar (in front of the Bishop) and stand in a row in front of the pulpit facing her. The bishop rises to the pulpit. The deacons cense the Bishop three times, who blesses them, and go into the altar through the side doors. The bishop reaches the pulpit. The protodeacon, standing at the right hand of the Bishop, crosses himself, bows to the Bishop and begins reading the entrance prayers.
At the Liturgy, at the entrance prayers, only the Bishop is applied to the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, and the priests stand in their places during the reading of the prayers, taking off their hoods and kamilavkas at the right time.
After the end of the entrance prayers, the Bishop blesses the people on three sides and goes to the pulpit. The priests bow in response to the blessing of the Bishop and follow him to the pulpit, the elders in front. At this time, the subdeacons, participating in the vestments of the Bishop, come out of the altar. Behind them, the 1st deacon immediately comes out of the north door with two censers, one of which he gives to the protodeacon. The Protodeacon and the 1st Deacon stand on the pulpit facing the Bishop.
The bishop, all the priests, the protodeacon, the 1st deacon and the subdeacons are baptized on the altar, bow to the Bishop, and all the priests in turn, in order of seniority, approach the Bishop for blessing, then immediately go to the altar, without waiting for each other. After the Bishop takes off his cassock, the protodeacon and the 1st deacon take the blessing on the censer.
During the vestments of the Bishop, the 1st deacon proclaims: “To the Lord, let us pray,” and the protodeacon reads the prescribed verses from the books of Exodus, the prophet Isaiah and the psalmist David. The Protodeacon and the 1st Deacon continuously and synchronously with each other perform the censing of the Bishop.
Upon arrival at the altar, each priest puts on a full vestment with a headdress, which is due to him (if he was not dressed before the meeting). All the clergy line up in two rows of seniority on the sides of the throne. As soon as the protodeacon starts the exclamation: “So let it be enlightened...” (Matt. 5:16), all the priests and deacons are baptized, venerate the altar, go out through the side doors to the solea and stand in line with the protodeacon and the 1st deacon, facing the Bishop. The bishop overshadows the clergy with dikirion and trikirion, and the clergy go to the pulpit in two rows. After the overshadowing of the people, the Bishop gives the dikirium and trikirion to the subdeacons and blesses the protodeacon and the 1st deacon, who at that time censing him three times three times. All priests, deacons and subdeacons with dikirion, trikirion and baton are baptized and bow to the Bishop. Then the subdeacons with the dikirion and trikirion go to the altar, taking the censer from the protodeacon and the 1st deacon along the way. The protodeacon and the 1st deacon go to the pulpit, and all the deacons line up in two rows, facing each other, between the rows of priests.
The bishop reads the prayers prescribed before the beginning of the Liturgy. Protodeacon: “It is time for the Lord to make...”. The 1st priest takes a blessing from the Bishop, leaves through the southern doors (on the Paschal week through the Royal Doors) into the altar and stands in front of the altar. Protodeacon: “Pray for us…”, and all the deacons in pairs approach the Bishop for blessing. The protodeacon goes to the salt, and the rest of the deacons stand in one row behind the bishop's pulpit. The subdeacons open the Royal Doors, the 1st priest is baptized twice, applied to the Gospel and the throne, is baptized again, turns around, bows together with the protodeacon and subdeacons to the Bishop, again turns to the throne, picks up the altar Gospel. Protodeacon: "Bless, Master." 1st priest: “Blessed is the Kingdom...”, overshadows the throne with the Gospel in the form of a cross, lays the Gospel, is baptized once, applied to the Gospel and the throne, turns around, bows together with the protodeacon and subdeacons to the Bishop and stands on the south side of the throne. At the petition: “O Great Lord...” the 1st priest and two subdeacons stand before the altar, are baptized once and, at the commemoration of the serving Bishop, bow to him together with the protodeacon in response to the blessing. The 1st priest goes to his place. All the priests standing at the pulpit are also baptized and bow to the Bishop at this petition of the peace litany.
At the petition: “O deliver us…” the 2nd and 3rd deacons come out from behind the pulpit and walk in the middle between the rows of priests to the salt. The 2nd deacon stands next to the icon of the Mother of God, and the 3rd - next to the protodeacon, to his right.
The exclamation after the peaceful litany: “As it befits Thee...” is made by the 1st priest. In words: “To the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever...” The 1st priest is baptized. In the words: “and forever and ever,” he comes to the space in front of the throne, stands facing the Bishop and bows to him together with the protodeacon and two deacons. At the same exclamation, the 2nd and 3rd priests are also baptized, bow to the Bishop and go into the altar through the side doors (on Holy Week through the Royal Doors). Upon entering the altar, the 2nd and 3rd priests are baptized once, venerate the throne (from the sides), go out to the Royal Doors, stand facing the Bishop, bow to him, then to each other and take their places on the side of the throne. The protodeacon goes to the pulpit together with the subdeacons who carry out ablution. The bishop washes his hands during the 1st antiphon. The protodeacon reads: “I will wash in the innocent…” (Ps. 25:6-12) and stands at the pulpit.
The practice regarding the number of priests leaving after the peace and the first small litanies to the altar is not the same. The bishop may indicate this number personally.
The 2nd deacon pronounces the 1st small litany. The exclamation after the first small litany is made by the 2nd priest, and also in the above manner at the end of the exclamation he bows to the Bishop, standing in the Royal Doors together with the 2nd and 3rd deacons. At this exclamation, the 4th and 5th priests are baptized, bow to the Bishop and leave through the side doors (on Paschal week - through the Royal Doors) to the altar, there they are baptized once, kiss the throne, go out to the Royal Doors, bow to the Bishop, bow to each other and get into place.
The 3rd deacon speaks the 2nd small litany. During it, all the deacons standing behind the pulpit go to the solea and stand in one row facing the altar. The exclamation after the second small litany is made by the 3rd priest, who also at the end of the exclamation bows to the Bishop, standing in the Royal Doors, simultaneously with all the deacons standing on the pulpit and all the priests standing at the pulpit. After the exclamation, all these priests and all the deacons go to the altar through the side doors (on Paschal week - through the Royal Doors). In the altar, all the priests and deacons who have come are baptized, venerate the throne, bow from the Royal Doors to the Bishop and take their places. The 1st and 2nd deacons go to the High Place and take a censer from the subdeacon.
small entrance
During the singing of the third antiphon, the 1st priest and protodeacon stand in front of the altar, cross themselves twice, venerate the altar, cross themselves and bow to the Bishop. The 1st priest takes the Gospel from the throne and gives it to the protodeacon, who goes with the Gospel to the High Place. All priests, the protodeacon, the 1st and 2nd deacons and subdeacons are baptized, the priests venerate the altar, everyone bows to the Bishop (the priests are from the Royal Doors). The 1st and 2nd deacons ask for a blessing on the censer, and all the clergy march to the small entrance. The order is as follows: priestess, assistant, 1st and 2nd deacon with censers, subdeacons with dikirion and ripida, protodeacon with the Gospel, subdeacons with ripida and trikirion, priests in order of precedence, elders in front. The protodeacon, descending from the ambo, quietly says: “Let us pray to the Lord,” and the Bishop reads the entrance prayer. When the priests begin to descend from the pulpit, each goes to his side (to the right or to the left) to the pulpit. The 1st and 2nd deacons, together with the subdeacons, go around the pulpit, disperse to the sides and stand at the level of the last pair of priests (or approximately the 4th pair, if there are many priests) facing each other. At the sign of the protodeacon, all the clergy are baptized on the altar and bow to the Bishop. The protodeacon asks the Bishop's blessing at the entrance and brings him the Gospel for kissing. The bishop kisses the Gospel, the protodeacon kisses the bishop's hand, then, turning to the east, proclaims: "Wisdom, forgive me" and turns to the west. After the exclamation of the protodeacon, all the clergy sing: "Come, let us worship...". The 1st and 2nd deacons go to the pulpit and incense the Gospel. When the Bishop begins to worship the Gospel and bless with candles to the east, the deacons cense the Bishop. When the Bishop begins to overshadow the people, the deacons again incense the Gospel. At the moment when the Bishop begins to leave the pulpit, the 1st and 2nd priests support him by the arms. Protodeacon, 1st and 2nd deacons in front of all the clergy go to the altar. The bishop goes to the pulpit, followed by the priests in two rows, the elders in front. When the Bishop ascends to the pulpit, the 1st and 2nd priests support him by the arms and step back. The bishop blesses the people with dikirium and trikirium. The priests, standing in two rows in front of the solea facing the Bishop, bow to him. The protodeacon receives the trikirium from the Bishop and goes to the High Place. The bishop kisses the icons at the Royal Doors and enters the altar. Behind him, priests enter the altar in two rows, each kissing the icon at the Royal Doors, which is on his side. The deacon gives the censer to the Bishop.
The bishop, with a dikiry in his hand, performs the censing of the altar, preceded by a protodeacon carrying a trikiry. While the Bishop is censing the Royal Doors and leaving the altar to incense the iconostasis, all the priests and deacons are baptized, venerate the altar, bow to the Bishop from the Royal Doors and retire to their places. All deacons and subdeacons gather in the High Place. The bishop incenses the iconostasis, choirs and people, then enters the altar and incenses the clergy. All priests respond with a bow. Next, the Bishop censes the protodeacon and gives him the censer. The protodeacon censes the Bishop three times three times, is baptized together with all the clergy standing in the High Place, and bows to the Bishop. After the choir sang the big “Ispolla these, despota” (hereinafter abbreviated as “Ispolla”), everyone in the altar sings the same many years. When the Bishop begins to read the prayer of the Trisagion according to the Official, then the priests also begin to read it according to the Service Book.
About reading secret prayers according to the Missal: according to the established tradition, at the Liturgy, priests begin to use the Missal to read secret prayers only after entering the altar.
The last kontakion on “And now” is traditionally sung by the clergy in the altar. At the end of the singing of the last kontakion, the protodeacon venerates the altar, asks the Bishop for a blessing: “Bless, Vladyka, the time of the Trisagion,” and proceeds to the saline. Further exclamations of the protodeacon are the same as in the priestly service.
The Trisagion sings the choir once. At this time, the protodeacon accepts the dikyrium from the subdeacon and gives it to the Bishop. The clergy sings for the second time. At this time, the 2nd priest takes the altar cross from the throne and gives it to the Bishop with the face of the cross to the Bishop. The third time the Trisagion sings the choir. At this time, the Bishop comes out with a cross and a dikiry to the salt. All priests turn to face the Royal Doors, and the 1st and 2nd priests go to the middle of the space in front of the throne. All deacons and subdeacons disperse from the High Place to their places. The 1st subdeacon lights the trikirium and gives it to the protodeacon, who is standing in the High Place.
The bishop proclaims: “Look ...” (Ps. 79:15-16), and the trio sings the Trisagion for the fourth time. The bishop overshadows the people, then turns and overshadows the clergy at the altar. The priests bow to the Bishop and retire to their places. The 2nd priest in the Royal Doors receives the cross from the Bishop and places it on the throne. The bishop venerates the throne, goes to the High Place, overshadowing it with dikyrium, gives the dikyrium to the subdeacon, and ascends to the High Place. At the same time, the protodeacon says: “Command, (Highly) Most Reverend Vladyka”, “bless, (Highly) Most Reverend Vladyka, the High Throne”, “The appearance of the Trinity in the Jordan was, for the Most Divine Nature Father proclaim, This baptized Son, my beloved, Spirit when he comes to such a thing, He will be blessed by people and exalted forever” (3rd troparion of the 8th ode of the 1st canon on Theophany) and gives the Bishop a trikirion. After the Bishop has kissed the throne, all the priests kiss the throne and move closer to the High Place in order of seniority. The choir sings the Trisagion for the fifth time. Sixth time - the clergy sing. The Bishop, standing on the High Place, overshadows the clergy with a trikirium, who bows to the Bishop. The Subdeacon receives the Subdeacon from the Bishop. The 1st deacon is baptized, kisses the throne, approaches the Bishop with the Apostle, placing his orarion on top, receives a blessing, kisses the Bishop's hand and goes along the left side of the throne through the Royal Doors to the pulpit to read the Apostle. The choir sings: “Glory, And now, Holy Immortal…”, and one more time: “Holy God”.
Protodeacon: "Let's listen." Bishop: "Peace to all." 1st deacon: “And the spirits ...”, and then reads, as usual, the prokeimenon and the Apostle. The subdeacons remove the large omophorion from the Bishop. The 3rd deacon stands before the Bishop. The subdeacons place the omophorion on the hands of the deacon. The bishop blesses the deacon;
their shoulders.
According to the charter, censing is supposed to be performed on the alliluary, but, according to the universally established practice, immediately after the omophorion was removed from the Bishop, a protodeacon with a censer and a subdeacon with a cistus and a spoon (incense should be in the cistus) approach him. The protodeacon says: “Bless, Vladyka, the censer!” and brings the censer to the Bishop, holding it with his right hand by the cup. The Subdeacon offers the Bishop the cist. The bishop puts a spoonful of incense on the coals and blesses the censer. The Subdeacon kisses the Bishop's hand. The protodeacon begins burning incense.
After reading the Apostle, the 1st priest bows to the Bishop and, together with the protodeacon, goes to the throne. At the throne, the 1st priest and the protodeacon are baptized together (they do not bow to the bishop and each other), the priest kisses the Gospel and the throne and gives the Gospel to the protodeacon. The 1st priest takes his place and bows to the Bishop. The protodeacon carries the Gospel to the Bishop, he kisses the Gospel, and the protodeacon kisses the hand of the Bishop. The protodeacon carries the Gospel through the Royal Doors to the pulpit. The 3rd deacon with an omophorion walks in front of the protodeacon bearing the Gospel as follows: he goes around the throne from south to north through the High Place, leaves the altar through the Royal Doors, goes along the middle of the temple to the pulpit, goes around the pulpit from his right side to his left, returns to the altar through the Royal Doors together with the deacon, who read the Apostle, and stands at the place from which he began to move with the omophorion (south side of the throne). The deacon with the Apostle stands at the north side of the throne, opposite the deacon holding the omophorion. The exclamation: "Wisdom forgive, let us hear the Holy Gospel" is made by the deacon holding the Apostle, and "Let's listen" - the deacon holding the omophorion. After this exclamation, both deacons venerate the altar, approach the Bishop for blessing, kiss his hand, and retire to their places, laying down the omophorion and the Apostle.
Priests and deacons listen to the reading of the Gospel with their heads uncovered, while the Bishop wears a mitre.
After reading the Gospel, the Bishop is baptized to the east, goes out to the solea, venerates the Gospel, which the protodeacon brings to him, and blesses the people with dikirium and trikirium. All priests are also baptized and return to their places at the throne. The protodeacon places the Gospel on the far right corner of the altar or, if the altar is small, on the seat in the High Place. At the end of the reading of the Gospel, the 1st deacon is baptized at the north side of the throne, bows to the Bishop and goes to the pulpit to pronounce the litany.
At the Special Litany, all subdeacons and deacons gather in the High Place and, at the petition for the serving Bishop, they sing: “Lord, have mercy” three times.
At the Special Litany, the Bishop opens the antimension. He is assisted by the 1st and 2nd priests. After that, the Bishop, the 1st and 2nd priests are baptized, kissed the throne, baptized, the 1st and 2nd priests bow to the Bishop, who blesses them.
Usually, beginning with the exclamation of the litany, the Bishop distributes the exclamations among the clergy. The priest, whose turn is approaching, must be ready to utter an exclamation. The bishop gives a sign with his blessing. The priest bows to the Bishop, utters the prescribed exclamation, and at the end of the exclamation, he is baptized and bows to the Bishop.
At the Liturgy celebrated by the Bishop, the Royal Doors are opened to: “Blessed is the Kingdom” and remain open until the exclamation: “Holy to the Holy.”
The litany for the catechumens is pronounced by the 3rd deacon or protege in the priesthood. In the words: “The Gospel of Truth will open to them,” the 3rd and 4th priests open the upper part of the antimension and, together with the protodeacon and the 1st deacon, are baptized, venerated at the Throne, baptized and bow to the Bishop. At the exclamation: “Yes, and thi...”, the protodeacon and the 1st deacon leave the altar and, together with the 3rd deacon, proclaim: “Come out of the chants of the proclamation ...”. The 2nd deacon, standing in the High Place, takes the blessing from the Bishop on the censer and burns the altar completely (the Bishop should be incensed first three times three times, and at the end of the burning three times).
After the exclamation: “Yes, and they glorify with us ...” (or, according to another practice, after the exclamation: “As if under Your power ...”), the Bishop washes his hands in the Royal Doors. Upon the return of the Bishop to the altar, the protodeacon and the 1st deacon place a small omophorion on him.
The 2nd or most experienced priest appointed by the dean goes to the altar and performs the following actions:
- removes the air from the holy vessels and puts it on the left corner of the altar;
- removes the covers from the diskos and the Chalice and puts one on top of the other on the right corner of the altar;
- removes the star from the diskos and places it behind the diskos and the Chalice;
– checks for the presence on the altar, standing in front of the diskos and the Chalice, of two undrawn prosphora on plates and one more plate with a copy lying between them.
Large air can also be placed on top of the covers on the right corner of the altar.
Great Entrance
When the Bishop performs the reading of the Cherubic Hymn, the protodeacon removes the miter from him, places it on a tray, and gives the tray to the 3rd deacon. The bishop goes to the altar, the 1st deacon approaches him. The bishop puts air on his shoulder, and the deacon takes the blessing on the censer and burns the iconostasis, the kliros, and the people. Priests in pairs, in turn, approach the throne, are baptized, venerate the throne, bow to each other with the words: “Let your priesthood (archpriest, abbess, hieromonasticism) remember ...” and take the altar crosses. If an odd number of priests serve, then the last three approach the throne at the same time. The last three priests usually carry not crosses, but a plate, a liar and a spear. When the Bishop says: “I serve with the brethren,” then the clergymen in seniority approach the Bishop, kiss him on the right shoulder and quietly say: “Remember me, (Highly) Most Reverend Vladyka, Priest N” (with a large number of clergy, the dean can give a sign that you don't have to come up so as not to cause a fuss). At the end of the commemoration, the omophorion is removed from the Bishop. The 1st deacon approaches the altar with a censer. The 1st priest gives the Bishop an asterisk and covers, which the Bishop, fragrant with censer incense, puts on the sacred vessels. The 1st deacon utters the usual exclamations at the end of the proskomedia, and at the appropriate moment gives and receives the censer from the Bishop. The protodeacon takes the diskos from the Bishop, and the 1st priest the Chalice with the words: “May the Lord God remember your bishopric in His Kingdom...” and kisses the hand of the Bishop. The 2nd priest and the rest of the priests carrying the altar Crosses approach the Bishop in turn, holding the Cross facing the Bishop in an inclined position (upper end of the Cross to the right). The bishop is applied to the cross. The priest kisses the Bishop's hand and says: "Let your bishopric remember...". Junior priests accept from the hands of the Bishop a spear, a liar and a plate. The 2nd deacon during the proskomedia also prepares a censer for himself.
At the great entrance, the order of the procession is as follows: the protege to the priest (if any), the 3rd deacon with a tray on which the subdeacons put the omophorion and miter, the priest-bearer, assistant, the 2nd and 1st deacons with censers, the subdeacons with the dikyrium, trikirium and a ripida, a protodeacon with a diskos, the 1st priest with a Chalice, a subdeacon with a ripida, and the rest of the priests (the elders are in front).
The 3rd deacon with a tray enters the altar through the Royal Doors and stands between the altar and the Royal Doors, facing north. The 1st and 2nd deacons enter the altar and burn the altar incense. The bishop approaches the 3rd deacon, kisses the miter, and the deacon kisses the hand of the bishop. The 1st deacon brings the censer to the Bishop at the Royal Doors. The bishop censes paten three times and gives the censer to the deacon. The protodeacon quietly commemorates the Bishop: “Let your bishopric remember…”. The bishop also commemorates the protodeacon. The protodeacon quietly answers: "Ispolla." The bishop receives the diskos from the protodeacon and performs the first commemoration, after which he enters the altar and places the diskos on the throne. The 1st and 2nd deacons perform the censing of the Bishop. At this time, the 1st priest stands in front of the Royal Doors facing them. The 1st deacon gives the censer to the Bishop at the Royal Doors. The bishop censes the Chalice, and the 1st priest quietly says: “Let your bishopric remember...”. The bishop answers: “Let your priesthood (abbots, etc.) remember ...”. The 1st priest answers: “Ispolla”, gives the Chalice to the Bishop, kissing his hand, and departs to his former place in the row of priests. After the Bishop performs the prescribed commemoration, all the priests, saying: “Let your bishopric remember ...”, after the Bishop enter the altar, put crosses and other sacred objects on the throne in their places. The 1st and 2nd deacons burn the Bishop incense when he brings the Holy Chalice into the altar.
In response to the request of the Bishop: “Pray for me, brethren and co-servants,” all the priests and deacons answer: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” The protodeacon gives the bishop a miter. At the appropriate moment, the 1st deacon gives the Bishop a censer for incense, and accepts it. All deacons receive a blessing from the Bishop, and the 1st and 2nd deacons from the High Place burn the Bishop incense three times three times. Litany: “Let us fulfill our prayer...” says the protodeacon.
If there are a lot of priests, then it is possible that, at the direction of the dean, not all priests go to the great entrance, but only the first few couples.
At the exclamation of the protodeacon: “Let us love one another...” all the priests, together with the Bishop, are baptized three times with the words: “I will love you, Lord, my strength...” and the priests move to the left side of the altar. The bishop puts aside the miter (the 2nd deacon accepts it and places it on the throne), applies it to the sacred vessels, the throne and moves to the right. All the priests take turns kissing the holy diskos (with the words “Holy God”), the Holy Chalice (“Holy Strong”), the throne (“Holy Immortal, have mercy on us”) and approach the Bishop. The bishop says: “Christ is in our midst,” to which each priest answers: “And he is, and he will be,” and kisses the Bishop on his right (from his left) and left shoulders, and then kisses the Bishop’s hand and moves away to the left. Also, all priests christenate with each other.
At large numbers it is better for priests to kiss only their hands during mutual Christening among themselves, so as not to drag out the rite (the initiative for such a reduction should come from the elder). With the Bishop always Christossuyutsya in full order.
At the exclamation: “Doors, doors...” and when the rite of mutual kissing ends, the Bishop stands before the throne, bowing his head, and all the priests take the air and blow it over the sacred vessels. Those standing on the right hand of the Bishop hold the air with their right hand, and those standing on the left hand with their left. The bishop or the priest indicated by him reads the Creed. After reading, the Bishop kisses the cross in the air and the 2nd priest or another priest from the left row carries the air and stacks it on the altar. The 2nd deacon presents the mitre to the Bishop.
At the Eucharistic Canon, when the Bishop comes out with the dikiri and trikiri to bless the people, all the priests turn to face the Royal Doors, and the 1st and 2nd priests go to the space in front of the throne and also stand facing the Royal Doors. After the exclamation: “We thank the Lord,” the Bishop overshadows the clergy with candles. All the priests bow to the Bishop and retire to their places.
At the exclamation: “Victory Song”, all the usual actions with the star are performed by the 1st deacon. At the sign of the Bishop during the singing: “Holy...”, the protodeacon removes the miter from the Bishop and gives it after all the deacons receive the blessing from the Bishop during the singing: “We sing to you.”
After the exclamation: “Fairly O Most Holy,” the 3rd deacon takes the censer from the Bishop and burns the altar incense. The bishop censes three times three times, and at the end of the censing only three times.
While singing: “It is worthy to eat,” the protodeacon venerates the altar, asks the blessing of the Bishop, and proceeds to the pulpit through the Royal Doors. At the end of the singing: “It is worthy,” the protodeacon proclaims: “And everyone and everything.” The choir sings: "And everyone, and everything." The bishop proclaims: “Remember first…”.
At the exclamation of the Bishop, the 1st priest immediately makes an exclamation: “First, Lord, remember our Lord (Highly) Most Reverend (commemorating the Bishop who leads the Liturgy), grant him to Your holy Churches in the world whole, healthy, long-living, the right to rule the word of Your Truth ” and, putting aside the Missal, approaches the Bishop, accepts his blessing, kisses the hand, the icon on the miter, bows to the Bishop again with the words: “Ispolla” and departs to his place.
If several Bishops serve, then after the exclamation of the 1st priest, his actions are repeated by the 2nd priest in relation to the 2nd bishop, the 3rd priest in relation to the 3rd bishop, etc.
The protodeacon, standing on the salt, proclaims: “Lord (our) (commemorates the serving Bishop), bringing this Holy Gifts (enters the altar and points to the Holy Mysteries) to the Lord our God” (goes to the High Place, is baptized, bows to the Bishop, comes from Altar with the Royal Doors and stands on the pulpit facing the people). About our Great Lord and Father Alexy, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, about His Grace Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops and about all the priesthood and monastic order, about the God-protected country of our Russia, about its authorities, army and people, about the world of the whole world, about the well-being of the Holy Churches of God, about the salvation and help with diligence and the fear of God, those who work and serve, about the healing of those who lie in infirmities, about the assumption, weakness, blessed memory and the remission of the sins of all those who have reposed Orthodox, about the salvation of the people who are coming and about them each in thought to have, and about everyone, and for everything. The choir sings: "And about everyone, and for everything." The protodeacon enters the altar through the Royal Doors, is baptized in the High Place, bows to the Bishop and takes his blessing with the words: “Let your bishopric remember...”, “Ispolla”.
At the exclamation: “And give us...” the 2nd deacon in the High Place is baptized, bows to the Bishop and goes to the pulpit to say the litany: “All the saints have remembered...”. After singing “Our Father...” the Bishop proclaims: “Peace to all” and blesses the people. Before that, the 2nd deacon moves to the right, bows to the Bishop, and after the Bishop has entered the altar, returns to his place.
If a sermon is supposed to be given before the communion of the people, then at the litany: “All the saints have remembered ...”, after the Bishop reads the secret prayer, the 1st priest gives the Bishop an altar cross. The preacher kisses the Throne and approaches the Bishop, who overshadows him with a cross, while the preacher crosses himself, kisses the cross and the hand of the Bishop, retires to his place, crosses himself again and bows to the Bishop. The 1st priest accepts the cross from the Bishop and places it on the throne.
After the exclamation: “Peace to all,” the protodeacon removes the miter from the Bishop and places it on the throne.
Communion of the clergy
First, the Bishop takes communion.
At the exclamation of the protodeacon: “Archimandrite, and, archpriests, priests ... proceed,” all the priests from the right side of the altar move to the left and, in order of seniority, approach the throne (without making a prostration, since the prostration was made earlier) with the words : “Behold, I come to the Immortal King and my God. Teach me, (Highly) Most Reverend Vladyka, to the unworthy priest N (pronounce the name clearly and distinctly) the Honest and Holy Body of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ. The priest is baptized, kisses the holy throne, receives the Holy Body, kissing the hand and left (right away from himself) shoulder of the Bishop, with the words “and is, and will be”, moves to the left to the throne and immediately takes communion. After communion with the Holy Body, each priest moves to the right side of the altar. The deacons take Christ with each other and take communion in the same way as the priests after them. After the Bishop has communed all the priests and deacons with the Holy Body, he communes them with the Holy Blood. A priest partakes of the Holy Blood in the same way as a deacon does at a priestly service.
The bishop reads the prayer: “We thank Thee, Master...” and moves away to the right. The rector brings the Bishop a drink prepared by the subdeacons. Other priests divide the Holy Body according to the number of communicants.
The rector should take care that the required number of chalices, spoons and platters for communion is ready.
Communion of the laity
If it is supposed to take communion from several Chalices, then the priests for the communion of the laity are appointed by the rector.
After the exclamation of the Bishop: “God save Thy people...”, he censes the Holy Gifts, gives the diskos to the protodeacon, then takes the Chalice and says quietly: “Blessed be our God”, then gives the Chalice to the 1st priest. He, having accepted the Chalice and kissed the hand of the Bishop, stands in the Royal Doors and proclaims: “Always, now and forever and forever and ever”, then departs with the Holy Chalice to the altar with the words: “Ascend to heaven ...” and puts on the altar . A candle is placed in front of the Holy Chalice. The 1st priest censes the altar three times, the protodeacon three times and gives the censer to the protodeacon. The protodeacon censes the 1st priest three times. The first priest and protodeacon are baptized, bow to each other, to the Bishop, and retire to their places. At this time, the Bishop, together with the 2nd and 3rd priests, folds the antimension. The 1st priest presents the Gospel to the Bishop, which he places on the throne. The protodeacon (or newly appointed deacon) pronounces the litany: “Forgive me, have you...”.
At the exclamation: “For Thou art sanctification...” the junior priest in a headdress (or a newly appointed priest), together with the Bishop, is baptized once, kisses the throne, at the exclamation of the Bishop: “We will go out in peace,” bows in response to the blessing of the Bishop and proceeds to read ammon prayer. After the prayer behind the ambo, the junior priest returns to the altar, kisses the altar and bows to the Bishop.
About the time of wearing hats: hats are put on for a meeting, taken off for the reading of the Gospel and put on after reading, taken off at the litany for the catechumens and put on at the prayer behind the ambo.
After the dismissal of the Liturgy, various rites are possible. All clergy are guided either directly by the Bishop, or by the dean, or by the rector.
Procession.
If a religious procession is planned after the Liturgy, then the rector should check its route in advance.
The rector determines the circle of the laity who will bear banners, icons and other shrines. They should be instructed in detail in advance regarding the order of the procession. The movement of the procession is led by a person in charge. He does not carry anything, walks to the side of the banners and watches that the pace of movement does not change. If there are few people, then the person in charge carries a lantern in front of the procession.
The order of the procession is: a lantern, followed by an altar cross and an icon, followed by banners, followed by artoses (if the service is celebrated on Bright Week), or an icon of a temple or a holiday (if it is supposed to be carried to the laity), the clergy, subdeacons, the Bishop, then the choir.
It is advisable for the choir to go to the center of the church during communion of the laity and from there to sing the end of the Liturgy. When entering the procession, the choir passes the clergy and the Bishop and follows them.
During the procession, four stops are usually made along the sides of the temple (south - east - north - west). At the second stop, according to tradition, the Gospel is read. Consequently, in the altar Gospel that will be brought to the procession, it is necessary to lay either the conception that the Bishop will indicate, or the conception that was read at Matins.
Usually the Bishop comes with a three-candlestick (if we are talking about Bright Week), the 1st priest with an altar cross, the 2nd priest with an altar Gospel (if the book is heavy, then it can be carried by two priests, who in this case are not in the ranks of the clergy, but shifted to the center, between the rows of clergy). The 3rd priest and other priests (not necessarily all) can carry the icons of the temple, the holiday, or a locally venerated image. The protodeacon and the 1st deacon go with censers, and the 3rd and 4th deacon with deacon candles.
It is necessary to prepare a bowl of holy water and an aspergiller in advance, as well as to have an adequate supply of holy water.
Appendix:
Guidelines for the regent
All-night vigil charter for choir
At the meeting, at the exclamation of the protodeacon: “Wisdom”, the choir sings:
1. “From the rising of the sun to the west...” (Ps. 112:3-2);
2. Immediately after this, the choir sings the troparion of the holiday (or the temple, if there is no big holiday). The speed of the singing is such that the Bishop has time to give all the priests the Cross for kissing, venerate the festive image and ascend the pulpit. If there is any revered shrine in the temple and it is assumed that the bishop will venerate it, at that moment a troparion is sung to this saint, whose holy relics (or revered image, etc.) are in the temple.
You can repeat the troparion twice.
3. When the Bishop ascends the pulpit, turns around and begins to bless the people, the choir sings: “Ton Despotin.”
4. Upon the exclamation of the protodeacon: “Arise”, the choir sings: “Most Reverend (or Most Reverend) Vladyka, bless.”
The choir sings the same answer at the end of Matins and the 1st hour.
After the dismissal of Matins, it is sung: “Ispolla” (short), then many years are sung: “The Great Lord ...” and again: “Ispolla” (short).
If the end of Matins was performed not by the Bishop, but by the priest, then the choir sings: “Great Lord ...” and “Ispolla ...” (short).
After 1 hour leave and the possible word of the Bishop and other persons, the choir sings:
- troparion or glorification of the holiday (slowly);
– “The affirmation of those who hope...”;
- “Ispolla” is large (as after the trio at the Liturgy).
Rule of the Divine Liturgy for Choir
Protodeacon: "Wisdom." Chorus: “From the rising of the sun to the West...” (Ps 112:3-2) (from Pascha to the Giving away - “Christ is Risen”) and then immediately without interruption begins singing: “It is worthy to eat” (or on the twelfth holidays, their afterfeasts and at midday - a meritorious one). It is necessary to sing “Worthy” slowly, so that the Bishop has time to fully complete the entrance prayers.
Guideline for the regent: at the end of the entrance prayers, the Bishop kisses the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, reads a prayer in front of the Royal Doors and puts on a hood. At this point, the singing of “Worthy” must be completed.
The bishop turns around, asks everyone for forgiveness and blesses the people on three sides. The choir sings: “Ton despotin ke archierea imon Kyrie filatte. Ispolla these despota. Ispolla these despota. Is pollla these despots ”(Our Lord and Bishop, Lord, save for many years). After this chant, the irmos of the 5th ode of the Vaii week canon is immediately sung: “To Mount Zion...”. According to the Rule, it should be sung only at the Patriarchal service, but according to modern practice, it is also sung at any hierarchal service.
The bishop takes off his hood, mantle, panagia, rosary and cassock. The first couple of deacons take the blessing on the censer, and the protodeacon proclaims: "Let him rejoice...". The choir begins to sing: “Let him rejoice...”, tone 7. The singing should end by the time the Bishop begins to put on the mitre.
Direction for the regent. The order of vestment of the Bishop is as follows: sakkosnik, stole, belt, club, handrails, sakkos, omophorion, cross, panagia (a hair comb is also served), miter.
Protodeacon: “So let it be enlightened… And forever and ever. Amen". The trio sings: "Tone Despotin." The whole choir sings: “Is pollla these despots” three times. Further to the small entrance, the Liturgy proceeds in the usual order.
Small entrance: at the exclamation of the protodeacon: “Wisdom, forgive me,” the clergy sings “Come, let us worship.” According to the practice of serving Metropolitan Yuvenaly, the clergy sing this hymn to the end. The choir immediately after the clergy sings: “Save us, Son of God...” in the same melody (Greek). After the chorus, the clergy repeat: "Save us...". After the clergy, a trio from the composition of the singing choir or subdeacons (who should sing, you need to agree before the start of the service) begins to sing: “Is pollla these despots.” It is necessary to finish the singing at the moment when the Bishop begins to incense the kliros and the people. The entire choir responds to the Bishop's incense by singing the so-called big "Ispolla". If two choirs sing at the Liturgy, then the right choir answers first, and then the left. After the chorus, the clergy sing the big Ispolla. Next, the choir sings troparia and kontakia according to the Charter (before the service, the regent must agree with the rector and with the bishop's protodeacon on the number and order of singing troparia and kontakia). The last kontakion on “And now”, according to tradition, is sung by the clergy in the altar.
The order of singing the Trisagion: the melody of the Trisagion can be either the “Bulgarian melody”, or “Agios ...” the chant of the Gethsemane skete of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra according to Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl), or “Bishop”. Any other music must be coordinated with the regent directing the singing of the clergy at the altar.
The choir sings 1 time, the clergy sings 2 times, the choir sings 3 times. In some manuals for choir directors, one can find an indication that the Trisagion must be sung 3 times on one note. This is inexpedient for the reason that during the third hymn the Bishop must have time to accept the cross from the priest, bow to the clergy, turn around and leave the altar to the pulpit. Therefore, it is better to sing in the same tune as the first two times.
Bishop: “Look down from heaven...” and overshadows everyone on four sides with the reading of the Trisagion. 4th time the Trisagion sings a trio. It is necessary to sing in such a way that for each of the three autumns one “Saint ...” was sung, and the words “have mercy on us” fell on the fall of the Altar. The trio singing music may be different from the main melody. The choir sings for the 5th time, as for the third time, in the usual tune. The clergy sing for the 6th time. “Glory, And now” and “Holy Immortal” are sung by the choir. The choir sings for the 7th time.
After reading the Gospel “Glory to Thee...” it is necessary to sing a little more slowly so that the protodeacon has time to bring the Gospel from the pulpit to the Bishop standing on the pulpit. After “Glory to Thee...”, in response to the Bishop’s blessing of the people, the choir sings a short “Ispolla”.
At the Augmented Litany, after the commemoration of the serving Bishop by the deacon, the clergy in the altar sing three times: “Lord, have mercy.” Immediately after them, “Lord, have mercy” is sung by the choir three times (if possible, in the same Kiev chant).
Great entrance. There is an opinion that the great entrance to a bishop's service takes much more time than a priest's. This is only partly true. Some Bishops make commemoration at the proskomedia for a long time, some do not. It is better for the regent to clarify this issue with the members of the bishop's retinue even before the start of the service.
There are two features for the choir at the great entrance. The first is that “Amen” after the Cherubic Hymn is sung twice: the first time after the commemoration of the Patriarch and the bishops concelebrating by the Hierarch (it is necessary to sing on one note), and the second time after “you and all...” - according to the notes. After the end of the singing: “Like a Tsar”, immediately in response to the overshadowing of the people by the Bishop, the choir answers with a short “Ispolla”.
If a priestly consecration is supposed, then the above short “Ispolla” is canceled and transferred to the end of the consecration (after laying sacred garments on the protege with singing: “Axios”).
Singing during the rites of the priestly and diaconal consecrations:
For the choir, the ranks of these consecrations are identical in structure. The difference lies only in the time of the Sacrament. Priestly ordination is performed after the great entrance, and deaconial ordination after the Eucharistic canon, after the exclamation: "And let there be mercy ...".
After the exclamation: “Come, Most Reverend Vladyko,” the clergy sing the troparia: “Holy Martyrs,” “Glory to Thee, Christ God,” “Isaiah rejoice.” Each troparion, after being sung by the clergy, sings the choir (in the same key). After the clergy sang three times “Lord, have mercy”, the choir sings: “Kyrie eleison” three times. For each exclamation of the Bishop: “Axios”, the same word is sung three times by the clergy, and then, in the same key, by the choir. After the end of the Sacrament of Consecration, the Bishop overshadows the people with trikirion and dikirion. The choir sings: “Is pollla ...” (short).
After singing in the Eucharistic canon: “It is worthy to eat,” the protodeacon proclaims: “And of all, and of everything.” The choir sings: "And everyone, and everything"
Bishop: “Remember first, Lord...”. 1st priest (immediately, without a break for singing): “Remember first, Lord...”. The protodeacon (also immediately) reads a long petition: "Master ... offering ... and about everyone, and for everything." The choir sings: "And about everyone, and for everything."
If a diaconal ordination is supposed, then after the last “Axios” the choir responds to the blessing of the Bishop with a short “Ispolla”.
The time of communion of the clergy is filled either with the sermon of the priest, or with the singing of the choir, it is possible with the people.
After communion of the laity, the Bishop: “God save...”. Choir: “Is pollla” (short) and further: “I saw the light ...”.
After the dismissal performed by the Bishop, the choir sings a short “Ispolla”, then: “The Great Lord ... (with the commemoration of the Patriarch, the ruling and serving Bishops)” and further: “Ispolla” (short).
If after the Liturgy a procession is expected, then it is better for the choir to move to the middle of the church during the communion of the laity, so that the situation does not turn out that the clergy went to the procession, and the choir, pushed aside by the people, remained in the church. If there are few people in the temple, then this instruction can be ignored.
in hierarchical service
Liturgy.
Consecrations as Deacon and Priest
Instructions for the Proteges.
Instructions for Subdeacons
At the celebration of the Vespers and Litiya.
Features in Services
Committed in the Presence of a Non-Serving Bishop.
Order of the Meeting of the Bishop
When he surveys the Church.
Bishop's Liturgy
presanctified gifts.
Liturgy.
Proskomidi. Proskomidia is performed before the arrival of the bishop at the temple. The priest, together with one of the deacons, reads the entrance prayers and puts on full vestments. Prosphora, especially for the Lamb, healthy and requiem, are prepared in large sizes. When carving the Lamb, the priest takes into account the number of clergy who take communion. According to custom, two separate prosphora are prepared for the bishop, from which he removes particles during the Cherubic Hymn.Meeting. Those who participate in concelebration with the bishop arrive at the temple well in advance in order to put on the clothes on time, who should, and prepare everything necessary. The subdeacons prepare the bishop's vestments, lay the eagles on the pulpit, in front of the local (the Savior and the Mother of God), chrome and festive icons, in front of the pulpit and at the entrance doors from the vestibule to the temple.
When the bishop approaches the temple, everyone comes out with the royal doors closed (the veil is drawn back) by the northern and southern doors from the altar to meet and stand at the entrance doors. In this case, each pair observes its alignment. Priests (in cassocks and headdresses-skufs, kamilavkas, klobuks - by seniority (from the entrance) stand in two rows, moreover, the one who performed the proskomedia (in full vestments) stands in the middle (between the last priests), having in his hands the altar Cross, with a handle to left hand, on a platter covered with air.The protodeacon and the first deacon (in full vestments) with the trikirium and dikirium, holding them at the same height, and the censers and between them the priest-bearer stand in a row opposite the entrance, stepping back to the east from the priest for a step. stand at the entrance doors from the vestibule to the temple: the first is on the right with a mantle, the second and the staff-bearer (assistant) are on the left.
The bishop, entering the temple, stands on the eagle, gives the staff to the staff, and everyone prays and bows three times to the bishop, who blesses them. The protodeacon proclaims: “Wisdom” and reads: “It is worthy to eat as if in truth ... The chanters, at this time, sing: “Worthy ...” drawlingly, with sweet singing. At the same time, the subdeacons put on a mantle on the bishop, who, having made one worship, accepts the Cross from the priest and kisses it, and the priest kisses the bishop's hand and departs to his place. Priests by seniority kiss the Cross and the hand of the bishop; after them - the priest who performed the proskomedia. The bishop kisses the Cross again and places it on the platter. The priest, having accepted the Cross and kissed the bishop's hand, takes his place and then, bowing with all the others for the blessing of the bishop, goes with the Holy Cross to the royal gates and passes through the northern door into the altar, where he places the Holy Cross on the throne. The priest with the Cross is followed by the priest-bearer, followed by the protodeacon, turning around for each walking bishop. The bishop is followed by the priests in pairs (the elders are in front). The priest-bearer stands on the salt, at the icon of the Mother of God, the bishop - on the eagle at the pulpit; behind him - two priests in a row, the protodeacon - on the right side near the bishop, having previously given the subdeacon a trikirium with a censer. The subdeacon with the second deacon goes to the altar.
Protodeacon: Bless, Master. Bishop: Blessed be our God... The protodeacon, as usual, reads the entrance prayers. When the protodeacon begins to read: “Mercy of the door…” the bishop gives the rod-bearer the staff and goes up to the pulpit. He venerates and kisses the icons when the protodeacon reads the troparia: “To Your most pure image…” “Mercy exists…” and the temple. Then, bowing his head before the royal doors, he reads a prayer: “Lord, send down Your hand ....” The protodeacon, according to custom, reads: “God, weaken, leave ....” Putting on the hood and accepting the staff, the bishop from the pulpit blesses everyone coming on three sides, while singing: “Ton despotin ke archhierea imon, Kyrie, filatte (once), ispolla these despot” (three times) (“Our lord and bishop, Lord, save for many years”) and goes to the middle of the temple, to the pulpit (cloud place). That's where the priests go. Standing in two rows and having performed a single veneration at the altar, they receive a blessing from the bishop and leave through the northern and southern doors to put on the altar.
Vestments of the bishop. When the bishop goes from the pulpit to the place of vestments, the subdeacons and other servants come out of the altar, in surplice, with a dish covered with air, and with a dish with bishop's clothes, as well as the first and second deacons with censers. Both deacons stand below the pulpit, against the bishop. The clerk accepts from the bishop on a dish a klobuk, a panagia, a rosary, a mantle, a cassock and takes it to the altar. A subdeacon with bishop's vestments stands in front of the bishop.
The protodeacon with the first deacon, bowing before the royal doors, proclaims: “Bless, Most Reverend Vladyka, the censer.” After the blessing, the first deacon says: “Let us pray to the Lord,” while the protodeacon reads: “Let your soul rejoice in the Lord; clothe thee in the robe of salvation and the garment of gladness of thee, as a bridegroom lay a crown on thee, and adorn thee with beauty as a bride.
The subdeacons, with the blessing of each garment by the bishop, first put on him a sticharion (sakkosnik), then other clothes, in order, and each time the deacon says “Let us pray to the Lord,” and the protodeacon - the corresponding verse. The chanters sing: "Let him rejoice..." or other prescribed hymns.
When a bishop is put on an omophorion, a miter, a cross and a panagia are taken out of the altar on a platter.
The dikirion and trikirion are taken out of the altar to the subdeacons, and they pass them on to the bishop. The protodeacon, after the deacon proclaims “Let us pray to the Lord,” says the gospel words in a grand voice: “So let your light shine before men, as if they see your good deeds and glorify our Father, Who art in Heaven, always, now and forever and forever and ever, amen. ” The singers sing: “Ton despotin….” The bishop overshadows the people in four countries (to the east, west, south and north) and gives the trikirion and dikirion to the subdeacons. The choristers on the kliros sing three times: “Ispolla…” The subdeacons line up with the protodeacon and the deacon, who cense the bishop three times three times, after which everyone bows before the royal gates, and then the bishop. The subdeacons, taking the censers, go to the altar, and the protodeacon and the deacon approach the bishop, accept his blessing, kiss his hand, and the first stands behind the bishop, and the second goes to the altar.
Clock. When the bishop overshadows the people with trikirii and dikirii, the priest who performed the proskomedia comes out of the altar through the southern door. North - a reader. They stand near the bishop's pulpit: on the right side - the priest, on the left - the reader, and after bowing to the altar three times, at the same time, with the protodeacon, deacon and subdeacons, they bow to the bishop. At the end of the singing on the kliros “Ispolla…” the priest proclaims: “Blessed be our God…” reader: “Amen”; then the normal reading of the clock begins. After each exclamation, the priest and the reader bow to the bishop. Instead of the exclamation “Through the prayers of our holy fathers…” the priest says: “Through the prayers of our holy Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.” The reader says: “In the name of the Lord, Master, bless,” instead of “In the name of the Lord, bless the father.”
When reading the 50th psalm, the first and second deacons with censers come out of the altar to the pulpit, bow before the royal doors, bow to the bishop and, having received a blessing on the censer, go to the altar and incense the throne, the altar, icons and clergy; then - the iconostasis, the festive icon, and having descended from the pulpit, the bishop (three times three times), the priest, the reader, again ascending the pulpit, both kliros, the people, and then the whole church; having come together at the western doors of the temple, both deacons go to the pulpit, incense the royal doors, local icons, the bishop (three times), pray to the altar (one bow), bow to the bishop and go to the altar.
When censing, the following order is observed: the first deacon censes the right side, the second - the left. Only the throne (front and back), the royal doors and the bishop are burned together.
“When the hours are read, the bishop sits down, but rises on Alliui, on the Trisagion and on the Most Honest” (Officer).
At the end of the censing, the subdeacons and the sexton take out a vessel for washing hands with a hovel and a towel (the sexton stands between the subdeacons) perform prayerful worship at the royal doors (usually together with the deacons who have finished the censing), then, facing the bishop and bowing to him, they go to the pulpit and stop before the bishop. The first subdeacon pours water on the bishop's hands, together with the second subdeacon removes the towel from the sexton's shoulders, gives it to the bishop, and then again places the towel on the sexton's shoulders. The protodeacon, while washing his hands by the bishop, in an undertone, reads the prayer “I will wash in innocent hands ...” and after washing, he kisses the hand of the bishop, the subdeacons and the deacon also kiss the hand of the bishop and go to the altar.
At the end of the hours, at the prayer “Who for all time ...” the priests stand in order of seniority near the throne, perform threefold worship before it, venerate it and, having bowed to each other, come out of the altar (by the northern and southern doors) and stand near the pulpit in two rows : among them, the priest, who uttered exclamations at the clock, occupies a corresponding place according to the rank.
The priest-bearer and the rod-bearer take their places at the Royal Doors: the first one is on the north side, the second is on the south. The clerk stands near the bishop on the left side (according to another practice, the clerk leaves the altar at the beginning of the liturgy, after the exclamation “Blessed is the Kingdom ...”). The protodeacon and both deacons line up ahead of the priests. Everyone bows to the altar, then to the bishop. The bishop reads the prescribed prayers with a raising of hands before the beginning of the liturgy. The priest and deacons pray with him secretly. After prayerful worship, everyone bows to the bishop. After that, the protodeacon says: “The time to create the Lord, Most Reverend Vladyka, bless.” The bishop blesses everyone with both hands with the words: "Blessed be God ..." and gives the right hand to the leading priest. Having received the blessing, the priest enters the altar through the south door, kisses the altar and stands in front of it.
After the leading priest, the protodeacon with the deacons approach the bishop for a blessing. The elder says in an undertone: “Amen. Let us pray for us, Holy Lord.” The bishop, blessing, says: “May the Lord correct your steps.” Protodeacon: “Remember us, Holy Vladyka.” The bishop, blessing with both hands, says: “May he remember you….” The deacons answer: "Amen," they kiss the bishop's hand, bow and depart; the protodeacon goes to the salt and stands before the icon of the Savior, and the rest of the deacons stand behind the bishop on the lower step of the pulpit.
At the end of the hours, the subdeacons open the royal gates. The leading priest, standing in front of the altar, and the protodeacon on the solea, simultaneously perform prayerful worship towards the east (the priest kisses the altar at the same time) and, turning to the bishop, bows, accepting his blessing.
The beginning of the liturgy. The protodeacon proclaims: "Bless, Master." The leading priest proclaims: “Blessed is the Kingdom…” raising the Gospel above the holy antimension and making a cross with it, then he kisses the Gospel and the throne, bows to the bishop together with the protodeacon, co-serving priests, subdeacons and reader, and stands on the south side of the throne.
The protodeacon pronounces the great litany. At the beginning and end of the great litany and at two small litanies, the book-holder opens the Official to read the prayers before the bishop.
At the petition of the great litany “O deliver us…” the deacons come out from behind the pulpit and go in the middle between the rows of priests to the saline; the first stands against the image of the Mother of God, and the second - near the protodeacon on the right side. The leading priest pronounces an exclamation at the throne: “It is fitting for Thee…” and bows to the bishop in the royal gates. Simultaneously with him, the protodeacon with the deacons and the second priest bow to the bishop. The protodeacon from the solea goes to the pulpit, stands behind, to the right of the bishop; the second priest enters the altar through the northern door, kisses the altar, bows to the bishop through the royal gates and takes his place, opposite the leading priest.
After the small litany, which the first deacon pronounces, the second priest pronounces the exclamation: “For your power…” and bows to the bishop. Simultaneously with him, the deacon and two priests standing at the pulpit bow: the latter go through the side doors to the altar, kiss the throne and bow through the royal doors to the bishop.
Similarly, the remaining clergy and subdeacons go to the altar after the second small litany and the next exclamation “Like the Good and the Humanitarian….”
During the singing of the third antiphon or Blessed, a small entrance is made.
small entrance. Subdeacons take trikirii and dikirii, sextons - ripids, deacons - censers; the leading priest, bowing before the throne and bowing together with the protodeacon to the bishop, takes the Gospel and gives it to the protodeacon, who stands with him behind the throne, facing west. At this time, the leading and other priests, having bowed from the waist, kiss the throne, bow to the bishop and follow the protodeacon one by one. Everyone exits the altar through the north door in the following order: a priest-bearer, a co-worker, two deacons with censers, sub-deacons with a trikirion and a dikirion, ripids, a protodeacon with the Gospel, and priests by seniority. Arriving at the pulpit, the priests stand on both sides of the pulpit to the altar. The candle-bearer and assistant take their places at the royal doors. Protodeacon with the Gospel - below the pulpit, in the middle, against the bishop; on the sides of the Gospel - ripidchiki, facing each other. Near them, closer to the pulpit, are the deacons and subdeacons. Having made one bow, everyone takes the general blessing of the bishop. The bishop and priests secretly read the prayer “Vladyka, Lord, our God….” The protodeacon says in an undertone: “Let us pray to the Lord.” After the bishop has read the prayer, and after completing, if any, awards and promotion to the highest rank, the protodeacon, shifting the Gospel to his left shoulder, raises his right hand with the orarion up and says in an undertone: “Bless, Most Reverend Vladyka, the holy entrance.” The bishop, blessing, says: “Blessed is the entrance of Thy saints, always now and forever and forever and ever.” The protodeacon says: “Amen” and, together with the subdeacons, approaches the bishop, who kisses the Gospel; the protodeacon kisses the right hand of the bishop, holding the Gospel while kissing, and departs with the Gospel to the ripidchiks. The subdeacons, however, remain at the pulpit and hand over to the bishop the trikirion and dikirion. The protodeacon, raising the Gospel a little up and proclaiming: “Wisdom, forgive me” and, turning his face to the west, sings slowly with everyone “Come, let us worship ....” The deacons incense on the Gospel, then on the bishop, when he slowly bows before the holy Gospel and then overshadows the clergy bowing to him with trikiriya and dikiriya.
The bishop overshadows the people with trikirium and dikirium to the west, south and north. At this time, the protodeacon, preceded by the deacons, brings the holy Gospel into the altar through the royal doors and places it on the throne; all other clergy enter the altar through the north and south doors, while the priests remain at the bottom of the salt.
The bishop descends from the pulpit and ascends to the pulpit, where, while the chanters sing “Saviour, Son of God…” with trikirion and dikirion, he overshadows the people on two sides and goes to the altar. At the royal gates, the protodeacon meets him, accepts the trikirium from him and places him behind the throne. The bishop, having kissed the icons on the pillars of the royal doors, the throne, and having accepted the censer from the deacon, begins to incense.
Following the bishop, the priests enter the altar, each kissing the icon in the royal doors on his side.
The bishop, with the slow singing of the clergy “Savior, the Son of God ...”, preceded by the protodeacon with the trikirion, censes the throne, the altar, the high place, the priests on the right and left sides, the clergy, and proceeds to the salt. The candle-bearer and assistant descend from the salt and stand below the ambo opposite the royal doors; The performers sing softly and sweetly, “Is pollla these, despota.” Priests kiss the throne. The bishop incenses the royal doors, the iconostasis, the kliros, the people, local icons, enters the altar, incense and the throne, the priests and the protodeacon.
The candle-bearer and helper return to their places. On the kliros they sing “Ispolla…” drawn out, once, and then troparia and kontakia according to the Rule.
The second subdeacon receives from the bishop the dikyrium, the protodeacon receives the censer (the trikirium is handed over to the first subdeacon). All three stand behind the altar and at the same time bow when the protodeacon of the bishop censors three times, three times; then they turn their faces to the east, the protodeacon passes the censer to the sacristan, all four bow, bow to the bishop and go to their places.
The subdeacons who have chirothesia put the trikirii and dikirii on the throne, those who do not have chirothesia - on stands behind the throne. The clerk approaches the bishop with the Official to read the prayer “Holy God, rest in the saints….”
After singing the troparia and kontakia, the protodeacon kisses the throne and, holding the orarion with three fingers, says in an undertone: “Bless, Most Reverend Vladyka, the time of the Trisagion”; kissing the blessing hand of the bishop, he goes out to the salt and says against the image of the Savior: “Let us pray to the Lord.” Singers: "Lord, have mercy." The bishop pronounces his first exclamation: “For thou art holy our God… now and forever.” The protodeacon, standing in the royal doors, facing the people, finishes the exclamation “And forever and ever,” pointing the orarion from the left hand to the right, at the level of his forehead. The chanters sing: “Amen” and then “Holy God….” The protodeacon, having entered the altar, takes the dikirion and gives it to the bishop; at the altar everyone sings “Holy God….” The bishop creates a cross over the gospel with a dikiry.
The second priest, taking the altar Cross by the upper and lower ends and turning the front side, on which the sacred images are located, to the throne, gives it to the bishop, kissing the bishop's hand.
In front of the pulpit, against the royal gates, the priest-bearer and assistant stand.
The bishop, having a Cross in his lava hand, a dikirion in his right hand, while singing with a singing recitative: “Holy God ...” goes to the pulpit and says: “Look down from heaven, God, and see, and visit this grape, and confirm, and his own plant your right hand.”
After saying this prayer, when the bishop blesses to the west, the performers sing: “Holy God,” to the south - “Holy Strong,” to the north - “Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.”
The bishop enters the altar. The singers on the kliros sing: “Holy God….” The candle-bearer and helper take their places. The bishop, having given the Cross (the Cross is accepted by the second priest and placed on the throne) and kissing the throne, goes to the high place.
When the bishop departs for the high place, all the concelebrants, in the usual manner, venerate the altar and, then departing to the high place, stand behind the throne in order.
The bishop, going around the throne on the right side and blessing the high place with the dikyrium, gives the dikyrium to the subdeacon, who puts it in its place. The protodeacon, standing at the high place to the left of the throne, reads the troparion: “There was a manifestation of the Trinity in the Jordan, for the very divine nature of the Father exclaim: This baptized My Beloved Son; The Spirit has come to the One Who is like Him, Whom people will bless and exalt forever” and gives the trikirium to the bishop, who overshadows the trikirium from the high place to the right, to the left and to the right while all those who serve together sing: “Holy God….” After this, the chanters complete the Trisagion, beginning with “Glory, and now.”
Reading the Apostle and the Gospel. The protodeacon, having received the trikirion from the bishop, hands it over to the subdeacon, who puts it in its place. The first deacon approaches the bishop with the Apostle, putting his orarion on top, receives a blessing, kisses the bishop's hand and goes on the left side of the throne through the royal gates to the pulpit to read the Apostle. At this time, the protodeacon brings to the bishop an open censer with burning coals, and one of the subdeacons (on the right side of the bishop) brings a vessel with incense.
Protodeacon : “Bless, Most Reverend Vladyka, the censer,” the bishop, putting a spoonful of incense into the censer, utters a prayer: “We bring the censer to you….”
Protodeacon: Look out! Bishop: Peace to all. Protodeacon: Wisdom. The reader of the Apostle pronounces the prokeimenon and so on, according to custom. At the exclamation of the bishop, “Peace to all,” the subdeacons remove the omophorion from the bishop and place it on the hand of the second deacon (or subdeacon), who, having kissed the blessing hand of the bishop, departs and stands on the right side of the throne. The first deacon reads the Apostle. The protodeacon censes, according to custom. (Some observe the custom of incense at the Alleluia.)
At the beginning of the reading of the Apostle, the bishop sits on the seat of the high place and, at his sign, the priests sit on the seats prepared for them. When the protodeacon censes the bishop for the first time, the bishop and priests stand up and answer the censing: the bishop with a blessing, the priests with a bow. During the second incense, neither the bishops nor the priests get up.
At the end of the reading of the Apostle, everyone stands up. The sexton, taking the ripides, the subdeacons - dikirion and trikirion, go to the pulpit, where they stand on the right and left sides of the lectern prepared for reading the Gospel. Alleluia is sung according to custom. The bishop and all the priests secretly read the prayer “Rise in our hearts….” The leading priest and protodeacon bow to the bishop and, having received the blessing, retire to the throne. The leader takes the Gospel and gives it to the protodeacon. The protodeacon, having kissed the throne and accepted the Gospel, brings it to the bishop, who kisses the Gospel, and he kisses the bishop's hand, and goes through the royal doors to the lectern, preceded by the deacon with the omophorion. When the deacon with the omophorion (walking around the lectern) reaches the reader of the Apostle, he goes to the altar (if the deacon - through the royal gates) and stands on the left side of the throne, and the deacon with the omophorion - to the same place. On both sides of the protodeacon are the subdeacons with the trikirium and dikirium and the ripids, raising the ripids above the Gospel. The protodeacon, placing the holy Gospel on the lectern and covering it with an orarion, bows his head over the Gospel and proclaims: “Bless, Most Reverend Master, the Annunciator….”
Bishop: God, with prayers… Protodeacon says: Amen; and, putting the orarion on the lectern under the book, he opens the Gospel. Second Deacon: Wisdom, forgive me... Bishop: Peace to all. Choristers: And your spirit. Protodeacon: From (the name of the rivers) the holy Gospel reading. Singers: Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee. First Deacon: Vonmem. The protodeacon clearly reads the Gospel.
When the reading of the Gospel begins, both deacons kiss the throne, go under the blessing to the bishop, kiss his hand and put the Apostle and the omophorion in their places. Priests listen to the Gospel with uncovered heads, the bishop - in a mitre.
After reading the Gospel, the choir sings: “Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee.” The lectern is removed, the ripids are taken to the altar. The bishop descends from the high place, passes through the royal gates to the ambo, kisses the Gospel, held by the protodeacon, and overshadows the people with dikirium and trikirium while singing on the kliros: “Is the floor ....” The protodeacon gives the gospel to the first priest, and he places it on the high place of the throne.
The subdeacons pray to the east (one bow), bow to the bishop, put the dikirion and trikirion in their places. The priests take their places.
litanies. The special litany is pronounced by the protodeacon or the first deacon. When the petition “Have mercy on us, God…” is pronounced, all those present in the altar (deacons, subdeacons, sextons) stand behind the throne, pray to the east and bow to the bishop. After the petition “…and about our Most Reverend Lord…” those standing behind the throne sing (together with the priests) three times: “Lord, have mercy,” pray to the east, bow to the bishop and retire to their places. At the same time, two senior priests help the bishop open the antimension from three sides. The deacon continues the litany. The bishop pronounces the exclamation “Like merciful…” (Usually the bishop himself distributes the exclamations to the serving priests.)
The deacon, having bowed to the bishop, proceeds through the northern doors to the solea and pronounces the litany for the catechumens. When petitioning “The gospel of truth is revealed to them”, the third and fourth priests open the upper part of the antimension, pray to the east (one bow) and bow to the bishop. During the exclamation of the first priest, “Yes, and they glorify with us ...”, the bishop makes a cross with a sponge over the antimension, kisses it and puts it at the top on the right side of the antimension.
The protodeacon and the first deacon stand at the royal gates; the protodeacon says: “Your Annunciations, go out”; second deacon: “Announcement, depart,” first deacon: “Announcement, depart.” The second deacon continues the litany alone: “Yes, no one from the catechumens, the fidelity’s fir…” and so on.
Bishops and priests read secret prayers.
The first deacon takes a censer and, having asked for a blessing from the bishop, censes the throne, the altar, the high place, the altar, the bishop three times three times, all the concelebrants, the throne - in front, the bishop - three times, gives the sexton the censer, both pray to the east, bow to the bishop and depart . At this time, the second deacon says to the litany: “Packs and packs….” The exclamation: “As if it were under Thy power…” the bishop pronounces.
Great Entrance. Having finished the litany, the deacon goes to the altar, prays to the east, and bows to the bishop. [Not obligatory rite. One of the junior priests of the left row goes to the altar, removes the air from the vessel and places it on the right corner of the altar; removes the cover and the star from the diskos and puts it aside; in front of the diskos puts the prosphora on a dish and a small spear.]
The subdeacons with a vessel and water and a hovel and a sexton with a towel on their shoulders go to the royal doors to wash the hands of the bishop.
The bishop, having read the prayer “No one is worthy ...” (during this prayer, the priests take off their mitres, kamilavkas, skufis; the bishop is wearing a mitre), goes to the royal gates, says a prayer over the water, blesses the water and washes his hands. After washing, the subdeacons and the sexton kiss the bishop's hand and, together with the priest-bearer and assistant, go to the altar. The bishop stands before the altar, the protodeacon and the deacon place a small omophorion on him, the bishop prays (three prostrations) and, with a show of hands, reads “Like Cherubim…” three times. The protodeacon removes the miter from the bishop and places it on a dish over the large omophorion lying on it. The bishop, having kissed the antimension and the altar, and having blessed the co-servants, departs to the altar; the first deacon gives him a censer. The bishop censes the altar, gives the censer to the deacon and places air on his left shoulder.
The deacon departs from the bishop, censes the royal doors, local icons, kliros and the people.
After the bishop, the priests approach the throne in pairs from the front, make two bows, kiss the antimension and the throne, make another bow, then bow to each other with the words: “May the Lord God remember your archpriest (or: priesthood) in His Kingdom ...” and depart to the altar. The bishop at this time creates a commemoration on the prosphora at the altar. Priests by seniority, protodeacon, deacons, subdeacons approach the bishop from the right side, saying: “Remember me, Most Reverend Vladyka, priest, deacon, subdeacon (name of the rivers),” and kisses him on the right shoulder; the same thing is done by the deacon who performed the censing. Having remembered health, the bishop takes the funeral prosphora and commemorates the dead.
At the end of the hierarchical proskomedia, the subdeacons remove the omophorion from the bishop. (Excessive rites. One of the priests gives the bishop an asterisk, which, scented with incense, the bishop puts on the diskos, then the priest gives the veil that covers the diskos.) The protodeacon, kneeling on his right knee, says: “Take it, Most Reverend Vladyko.”
The bishop takes the paten with both hands, kisses it, gives the paten and his hand to be kissed by the protodeacon, and placing the paten at the forehead of the protodeacon (the protodeacon accepts it with both hands), says: “In peace, take your hands in the holy ....” The protodeacon leaves. The first priest approaches the bishop, accepting the holy chalice from the bishop, kissing him and the bishop’s hand, saying: “May the Lord God remember your bishopric in His Kingdom always, now and forever, and forever and ever.” The second priest approaches, holding the Cross in an inclined position (upper end to the right) with both hands and saying “Let your bishopric remember ...” kisses the hand of the bishop, who places it on the handle of the Cross, and kisses the Cross. The rest of the priests, speaking the same words and kissing the bishop's hand, accept from him the sacred objects of the altar - a liar, a spear, etc.
The great entrance is being made. Ahead, a deacon with a miter and a homophone on a platter, a priest-bearer, a helper, a deacon with a censer, subdeacons with a dikirion and a trikirion, sexton with ripids (usually one in front of the diskos, the other behind the chalice) go through the northern doors. Protodeacon and priests by seniority.
The candle-bearer and the helper stand before the salt. The deacon with the miter goes to the altar and stops at the left corner of the altar. Ripids and subdeacons stand on the sides of the orlets laid on the salt, the protodeacon - in front of the orlets, kneeling on one knee, the deacon with the censer - at the royal doors on the right hand of the bishop, the priests - in two rows, turning to the north and south, the elders - to royal doors.
The bishop goes to the royal doors, takes the censer from the deacon and censes the Gifts. The protodeacon says quietly: “Your bishopric…” the bishop takes the diskos, performs the commemoration according to the order, and takes the diskos to the throne. The leading priest stands before the orlets and quietly says to the bishop walking from the altar: “Your bishopric….” The bishop censes the cup, takes it. The first deacon, having accepted the censer from the bishop, departs to the right side of the throne; the leading priest, having kissed the hand of the bishop, takes his place. The bishop makes a commemoration according to the order and takes the cup to the throne; behind the bishop, the priests enter the altar. Reading the prescribed troparia, the bishop, having removed the covers, covers the diskos and the chalice with air, then puts on the miter and after incense of the Gifts says: “Brothers and co-servants, pray for me.” They answer him: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Protodeacon and concelebrants: “Pray for us, Holy Vladyka.” Bishop: “May the Lord correct your steps.” Protodeacon and others: “Remember us, Holy Vladyka.” The bishop, blessing the protodeacon and deacons: “May the Lord God remember you…” Protodeacon: “Amen.”
After the blessing, the first deacon, standing at the eastern right corner of the altar, censes the bishop three times three times, gives the censer to the sexton, both pray towards the east, bow to the bishop, and the deacon comes out of the altar and recites the litany. The bishop on the solea blesses the people with dikirium and trikirium. The singers sing: “Is polla ....” The royal gates at the great entrance are not closed during the bishop's service. The helper and the priest-bearer take their places at the royal doors.
The first deacon pronounces the litany: “Let us fulfill our prayer to the Lord.” During the litany, the bishops and priests secretly read the prayer “Lord God, the Almighty…” The exclamation: “By the bounties of Thy Only Begotten Son…” After the litany, when the deacon says: “Let us love one another,” everyone makes three bows from the waist, saying secretly: Lord, my strength, the Lord is my strength and my refuge.” The protodeacon removes the miter from the bishop; the bishop kisses the paten, saying: "Holy God," the bowl: "Holy Strong" and the throne: "Holy Immortal, have mercy on us," stands near the throne on the right side on the eagle. All the priests also kiss the paten, chalice and altar and approach the bishop. To his greeting “Christ is among us,” they answer: “And there is, and will be,” and kiss the bishop on the right shoulder, on the left shoulder and on the hand, and, kissing each other in the same way (sometimes, with a large number of concelebrants, they kiss each other only a hand), stand near the throne in their places. The word "Christ in our midst" is always said by the elder.
After the deacon calls out “Doors, doors, let us hear wisdom,” and the singing “I believe…” begins, the priests take the air by the edges and blow it over the Gifts and over the bowed head of the bishop, reading together with him to themselves “I believe….” After reading the Creed, the bishop kisses the cross in the air, the priest places the air on the left side of the throne, the protodeacon puts the miter on the bishop.
Consecration of the Gifts. The deacon proclaims on the solea: “Let us become good…” and enters the altar. The subdeacons pray to the east (one bow), bow to the bishop, take the trikirion and dikirion and serve it to the bishop, kissing his hand. The chanters sing: “The grace of the world….” The bishop goes to the pulpit with a trikirion and a dikirium and, turning his face to the people, proclaims: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ….”
Singers : And with your spirit. Bishop (overshadowing the south side): Woe to our hearts.
Singers: Imams to the Lord. Bishop (overshadowing the northern side): We thank the Lord. Choristers: Worthy and righteous... The bishop returns to the altar, the subdeacons receive the trikirion and dikirion from him and put them in their place. The bishop, bowing before the throne, together with the priests, reads the prayer “It is worthy and righteous to sing thee ....”
The first deacon, having kissed the throne and bowed to the bishop, takes the star with three fingers with the orarion, and when the bishop proclaims “The song of victory, singing, crying, calling out and speaking,” touches the diskos with it from above on four sides, crosswise, kisses the star, folds it, puts it on the left side throne above the Cross and together with the protodeacon, kissing the throne, bows to the bishop.
The choir sings: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts….” The bishop and priests read the prayer “With these blessed powers we too…” At the end of the prayer, the protodeacon removes the miter from the bishop, the subdeacons put on the bishop a small omophorion.
The protodeacon, with his right hand with the orarion, points to the paten, when the bishop, also pointing with his hand to the paten, says: “Take, eat ...” and to the cup, when the bishop proclaims: “Drink all of her ....” When proclaiming “Yours from Yours…”, the protodeacon takes the paten with his right hand with the orarion, and with his left, below the right, the chalice and lifts them up above the antimension. The chanters sing: “We will sing to you ...” the bishop and priests read the prescribed secret prayers.
The bishop, with a raising of his hands, prays in an undertone: “Lord, Izhe Your Most Holy Spirit ...” (priests - secretly), three times, each time with a bow. The protodeacon, and with him secretly all the deacons, recite the verses: “A pure heart ...” (after reading “Lord, Izhe Most Holy ...” for the first time) and “Do not reject me ...” (after the second reading “Lord, Izhe Most Holy ...”) .
After the third reading by the bishop, “Lord, even Thy Most Holy Spirit…”, the protodeacon, pointing to the diskos with his orarion, says: “Bless, Lord, Holy Bread.” The bishop says quietly (the priests secretly): “And make this Bread…” and blesses the bread (only the Lamb) with his right hand. Protodeacon: "Amen"; pointing to the chalice, he says: “Bless, Master, the Holy Chalice.” The bishop quietly says: “And the hedgehog in this Chalice…” (priests secretly) and blesses the chalice. Protodeacon: "Amen"; pointing to the diskos and the chalice, he says: “Bless, Lord, both.” The bishop (priests - secretly) says: “Having changed by Your Holy Spirit” and blesses the paten and chalice together. Protodeacon: “Amen,” three times. All those in the altar make a prostration. The subdeacons remove the omophorion from the bishop.
Then the protodeacon, turning to the bishop, says: “Remember us, Holy Master”; all the deacons approach the bishop and bow their heads, holding the orarion with the three fingers of their right hand. The bishop blesses them with both hands, saying: “May the Lord God remember you….” The protodeacon and all the deacons answer: “Amen” and depart.
The bishop and priests read the prayer “Like being communion….” At the end of the prayer and singing on the kliros: “We sing to you…” the protodeacon places a miter on the bishop, the deacon brings the censer, and the bishop, censing, proclaims: “Fairly, O Most Holy….” Then the bishop gives the censer to the deacon, who censes the throne, the high place, the bishop three times three times, the priests and again the throne from the bishop, bows to the bishop and departs. The bishop and priest read the prayer “For Saint John the Prophet….” The singers sing: “It is worthy to eat ...” or the worthy of the day.
At the end of the singing “It is worthy to eat ...”, the protodeacon kisses the throne, the hand of the bishop, becomes facing west in the royal gates and, pointing with his right hand with an orar, proclaims: “And everyone and everything.” Singers: “And everyone and everything.”
Bishop: “First, Lord, remember our Lord…”
The leading priest: “Remember, Lord, and our Lord Most Reverend (the name of the rivers), the metropolitan (archbishop, bishop; his own diocese), grant him the Saints of Your Church in the world, whole, honest, healthy, long-lived, right ruling the word of Your truth” and goes up to the bishop, kisses his hand, the miter, and again the hand. The bishop, blessing him, says: “The priesthood (archpriestship, etc.) is yours….”
The protodeacon, standing in the royal gates and turning to face the people, eloquently says: “Our Lord, His Grace (the name of the rivers), metropolitan (archbishop, bishop; his diocese; or: His Grace by name and with titles, if several bishops celebrate the liturgy), offering (or: bringing) (turns and enters the altar) this Holy Gifts (points to the paten and bowl) of the Lord our God (approaches the high place, is baptized, makes a bow and, having bowed to the bishop, goes and stands in the royal gates); about our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia... about His Grace Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops and all priesthoods and monastic ranks, about our God-protected country, about its authorities and army, about the peace of the whole world, about the well-being of the Holy Churches of God, about salvation and help with diligence and the fear of God, those who work and serve, about the healing of those lying in weakness, about the assumption, weakness, blissful memory and the abandonment of the sins of all the Orthodox who have died before, about the salvation of the people who are coming and each of them in the thought of having both all and for all, ( goes to the high place, crosses himself, makes one bow, then goes to the bishop, kisses his hand, saying: “Is pollla these despots,” the bishop blesses him).
Singers: about everyone and everything.
After the bishop’s exclamation, “And give us one mouth…”, the second deacon goes to the pulpit through the northern doors and after the bishop’s blessing of the people from the salt, while proclaiming “And let there be mercy…”, says the litany “All the saints have remembered…”
After the litany, the miter is removed from the bishop and he proclaims: “And vouchsafe us, Vladyka….” The people sing “Our Father….” Bishop: “For Yours is the Kingdom…” Singers: “Amen.” The bishop blesses the people with his hands, saying: “Peace to all.” A small omophorion is put on the bishop.
Choristers: And your spirit. Deacon (on the sole): Bow your head to the Lord.
Singers: You, Lord. Bishops and priests, having bowed their heads, secretly read the prayer “We thank Thee…” The deacons gird themselves with orarion cruciformly. The bishop pronounces an exclamation: “Blessings and generosity…”
Face: "Amen." The bishops and priests secretly read the prayer “Look out, Lord Jesus Christ our God…”
The royal doors are closed and the curtain is drawn. The deacon on the pulpit proclaims: “Let us listen!” and enters the altar. The candle-bearer puts a candle against the royal doors and with an assistant also enters the altar.
The bishop, having made three prostrations with his fellow servants, proclaims: “Holy to the Holy.” The singers sing: “One is Holy…”
communion. Protodeacon (standing to the right of the bishop): “Shatter, Vladyka, the Holy Lamb.”
Bishop: “The Lamb of God is broken and divided…”
The protodeacon, pointing with the orarion to the chalice: “Fill, Vladyka, the holy chalice.” The bishop lowers the part of "Jesus" into the chalice, saying: "The filling of the Holy Spirit." The protodeacon answers: “Amen,” and, offering warmth, says: “Bless, Vladyka, warmth.” The bishop blesses the warmth, saying: “Blessed is the warmth of your saints…”
Protodeacon: "Amen"; pouring warmth into the chalice in a cruciform manner, he says: “The warmth of faith, be filled with the Holy Spirit, amen.”
The bishop breaks up the “Christ” part according to the number of clergy who take communion. The protodeacon and deacons at this time stand between the high place and the throne, kiss each other on the right shoulder; there is a custom that the elder at the same time says “Christ is in our midst,” and the younger ones answer: “And there is and will be.” The bishop, addressing everyone, says: “Forgive me….” The co-servants, bowing to the bishop, answer: “Forgive us too, Most Reverend Vladyka, and bless us.” The bishop, having blessed and bowed before the altar with the words “Behold, I come...”, takes a particle of the Holy Body of the Lord, reads together with the clergy “I believe, Lord, and I confess...” and partakes of the Holy Body, and then the Blood of the Lord.
When a bishop receives communion from the chalice, the protodeacon usually says: “Amen, amen, amen. Ispolla these despots,” and then, turning to the priests and deacons, he proclaims: “Archimandrite, archpriest ... priest and deacons, proceed.” Everyone approaches the bishop from the north side of the throne with the words: “Behold, I come to the Immortal King and our God…” and partake of the Holy Body and Blood of the Lord according to custom.
The priests, when they receive the Body of the Lord, pass near the altar through the high place to the right side, where they partake of the Holy Body above the altar. Deacons usually take communion on the left side of the altar. The priests are communed with the Holy Blood of the Lord by the bishop on the right side of the throne, and the deacons are usually the first of the priests.
One of the priests crushes the parts of HI and KA and lowers them into the chalice for the communion of the laity.
The bishop stands in the altar on the right side of the throne, reads the prayer “We thank Thee, Master…”, takes the prosphora, tastes the antidoron and warmth, washes his lips and hands, and reads thanksgiving prayers. The one who supplies heat must place the ladle on the dish so that it is convenient for the bishop to take it, namely: he puts the prosphora to the right (away from himself) and puts the antidor on top of the prosphora, and puts the ladle to the left, and the handle of the ladle should also be turned to the left.
At the end of the singing on the kliros, the priest-bearer and assistant take their places, the subdeacons with dikirion and trikirium go out to the pulpit. The royal doors open, and the bishop, putting on a miter, gives the chalice to the protodeacon, who, kissing the bishop's hand, stands in the royal doors and proclaims: "Come with the fear of God and faith." Singers: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord….”
If there are communicants, then the bishop, taking the chalice, communes them on the ambo while singing: “Receive the Body of Christ…”
After communion, the bishop places the holy chalice on the altar, goes out to the solea, accepts the trikirion and dikirion from the subdeacons, and blesses the people with the words: “Save, O God, Thy people….” Singers: “Is pollla…” “We have seen the true light…” One of the clergy at this time lowers the particles from the paten into the chalice, reading secretly laid prayers.
The bishop, standing at the throne, takes the censer from the deacon and censes the Holy Gifts, saying quietly: “Ascend to the heavens, O God, and Thy glory is in all the earth,” gives the censer to the deacon, the diskos to the protodeacon, who, in the forefront of the censing deacon, transfers the diskos to altar. The bishop takes the cup with the words: “Blessed is our God” (quietly). The leading priest, kissing the bishop’s hand, accepts the chalice from him with both hands, goes to the royal doors, where he proclaims, raising a little chalice: “Always, now and forever, and forever and ever…” and then goes to the altar: the deacon censes on the chalice. Singers: "Amen. May our lips be filled…”
After placing the cup on the altar, the first priest censes the Holy Gifts, and a candle is lit before the Holy Gifts.
End of Liturgy. The protodeacon, having prayed to the east and bowed to the bishop, comes out of the altar through the northern door and says the litany, “Forgive me, come ...” (if there is a protege-deacon, then he pronounces the litany). During the litany, the bishop with the priests folds the antimis, the first priest gives the bishop the Gospel, with which, when pronouncing the exclamation “For Thou art our sanctification ...”, the bishop marks the antimis, and then, having kissed the Gospel, puts it on the antimis.
Singers : Amen. Bishop: We will depart in peace. Singers: On the name of the Lord.
The junior priest (if any, then a protege) kisses the throne and, bowing for the blessing of the bishop, proceeds through the royal doors and stands in the middle, below the pulpit.
Protodeacon (or protege deacon): Let us pray to the Lord. Singers: Lord, have mercy.
The priest reads the prayer behind the ambo “Bless the Lord, who bless Thee….” The protodeacon or protege deacon, during prayer, stands in front of the icon of the Savior, raising his right hand with the orarion.
The deacon, having prayed to the east, stands on the left side of the altar, folds his hands crosswise on the edge of the altar and lays his head on them. The bishop blesses him over the head and reads over him the prayer “Fulfillment of the law and the prophets….” The deacon is baptized, kisses the altar, and, having bowed to the bishop, goes to the altar to consume the Holy Gifts.
The protodeacon, at the end of the prayer behind the ambo, enters the altar through the southern door to the high place, crosses himself and makes a bow; the priest, having read the prayer behind the ambo, goes through the royal gates to the altar, kisses the altar, stands in his place and, together with the protodeacon, bows to the bishop.
Singers: “Be the name of the Lord….” The bishop delivers a sermon.
The bishop, blessing the people in the royal gates with both hands, says: “The blessing of the Lord is upon you….”
Singers: Glory, and now. Lord, have mercy (three times). Lord, bless.
The bishop, facing the people, pronounces the dismissal, holding the trikirion and dikirion in his hands, and, after signing the worshipers with the cross in the form of a cross, enters the altar, kisses the altar and takes off the sacred garments (in front of the altar or to the right of it).
Choirs: Ispolla... and longevity: Great Lord...
The priests, having kissed the throne and bowed to the bishop, also take off the sacred garments.
The subdeacons, having put the trikirion and dikirion in place, take off the sacred garments from the bishop and place them on a platter. The protodeacon reads the prayers laid down at the same time (“Now you let go ...” troparia, etc., dismiss the little one). The bishop puts on a cassock, puts on a panagia, puts on a mantle and a hood, and takes the rosary. After a small leave, the bishop blesses all those present in the altar with a general blessing and proceeds to the royal gates for salt. The assistant gives him a rod, the bishop prays, turning to the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God. The singers sing: “Ton despotin….” The bishop blesses the people with a general blessing from the pulpit, then from the pulpit or from the pulpit he blesses each of the people individually.
After the blessing, the bishop goes to the western doors, stands on the eagle, gives the rod to the assistant, the subdeacons remove the mantle from him.
About ringing. The ringing for the liturgy in the big bell begins at the appointed time. When the bishop approaches the temple, there is a ringing “in all” (trezvon): when the bishop enters the temple, the ringing “in all” stops and continues in one bell until the beginning of the vestments of the bishop.
At the beginning of the 6th hour - ringing "in all"; if there is an initiation into a surplice or a subdeacon, the ringing begins after the bishop has read the prayers.
While singing “I believe ...” - in one bell, to “Worthy ...” - 12 beats.
During the communion of the laity - ringing to the prayer service.
At the exit of the bishop from the temple - ringing "in all."
About Eaglets. The eagle is spread under the feet of the bishop so that the head of the eagle is turned in the direction in which the bishop will face. In the altar the eagles are laid by the subdeacons, on the salt and in other places of the temple there is an assistant.
Prior to the arrival of the bishop at the temple, the assistant lays the eagles on the salt in front of the royal doors, before the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, temple or festive, in front of the ambo and at the entrance to the temple from the narthex, where the bishop will meet. When, upon meeting, the bishop passes to the pulpit, the assistant takes the eagle at the entrance and spreads it on a cloudy place; when the bishop ascends the solea, the assistant takes the eagle from the place where the bishop stood and lays it on the edge of the ambo with his head to the west. The priest-bearer removes the orlets from the salt and ambo when the bishop leaves for the cloudy place (pulpit). In front of the small entrance, the subdeacons lay eagles in the altar around the altar and at half the distance between the altar and the altar. During the small entrance, the assistant puts an eagle on the edge of the ambo (with the eagle's head to the west), the other one - in the middle between the royal doors and the ambo (to the east) and removes them after the bishop's prayer: “Look down from heaven, God ....” After the bishop has set the altar, the subdeacons remove the eagles, leaving two or three eagles in front of the altar and laying one on the high place. During the reading of the Gospel, an eagle is spread on the salt in front of the lectern. Before the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, eagles are placed in the royal gates in front of the altar and against the left front corner of the throne, and when the pulpit is taken away, this eagle is removed, and the eagle is spread at the right front corner of the throne). During the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, the eagle in the royal gates moves a step or two to the west to receive the Holy Gifts and then to fall. At the words: “Let us love one another…” an eagle is placed at the right front corner of the altar, and while the bishop is standing on this eagle, the eagle is removed in front of the throne. At the end of the singing “I believe…” an eagle is placed at the end of the pulpit; to the proclamation “And let there be mercy ...” - in the royal gates; by singing "Our Father ..." - also. (According to the exclamation “And let there be mercies ...”, an orlets is placed at the left front corner of the throne, if there is consecration to the deacon; after the protege goes around the throne and takes away the pulpit, he is removed, and the orlets is laid at the right front corner of the throne.). Before communion of the people, an eagle is supposed to be placed where the bishop will commune. According to the prayer behind the ambo, eagles are laid before the royal doors (for the holiday of the liturgy and for the prayer of the bishop after leaving the altar after removing the clothes), on the edge of the ambo - for a general blessing; on the western lower step of the pulpit (usually also on the edge of the pulpit) - to bless people; at the exit from the temple - where the bishop will take off his mantle.
