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The Divine Liturgy, Part 5

Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Divine Liturgy, Spiritual Meditations

Objectives:

  1. To understand each part of The Liturgy and mediate on its beauty

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The Liturgy, a Factory of Saints

  • The prayers of the Liturgy are enough to turn you into a saints, if you follow them closely
  • Current, old, and new members of the faith should attend the Liturgy as often as possible

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  • Liturgy starts with, Have mercy on us, O God The Pantocrator and ends with, The Holies are for the Holy

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The Liturgy

  • The Liturgy is a meeting with Christ

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Preparation for The Liturgy

  • Attendence in Vespers
  • Read the readings at least one day ahead
  • Sleep early
  • Wake up early
  • Read the Ascension Psalms (120- 134)
  • Listen to The Liturgy on your way to church

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Entering The Church

“And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Genesis 28:17)

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Worshiping Before The Altar

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“But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple” (Psalm 5:7)

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My Feelings

  • I am unworthy to attend this wonderful meeting with God and to partake of The Communion

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  • The tax collector put his head down and kept hitting himself to show how sorry he was - he needed God’s mercy the same way no one can be proud of himself before God

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My Feelings Cont.

  • You should be seeking repentance as the most common response in the Liturgy is Lord have mercy

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My Feelings Cont.

  • You should love and long for attendance

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“And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)

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Raising Incense

  • Raising Incense in Vespers and Matins to obey God’s command to Moses by offering 2 sacrifices each day on The Bronze Altar and offering incense on The Altar of Incense

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  • The priest prays Vespers and Matins in their black attire as a symbol seen in The Old Testament
  • When the priest enters the altar, he changes into the white outfit as he enters Heaven

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“When we stand in your sanctuary, we are considered standing in Heaven”

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Raising Incense Cont.

  • Vespers –
    • The Thanksgiving Prayer
    • The Litanies
      • Departed
      • Sick
      • Travelling
    • O God Have Mercy on Us
    • The Gospel

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Raising Incense Cont.

  • The Morning Praises –
    • Hail to ...
      • St Mary
      • Archangel Michael
      • Gabriel
      • Cherubim
      • Seraphim

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Raising Incense Cont.

  • Matins –
    • The Thanksgiving Prayer
    • The Litanies
      • Sick
      • Oblations
      • NOT the travelers as no one should skip the liturgy
      • On Saturdays we pray for the departed in remembrance that they are with Jesus in Paradise on Bright Saturday

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The Agbeya Prayers

  • On Sundays we pray the Third and Sixth Hours
  • On Fasting Days we pray the Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours
  • During Lent we pray the Third, Sixth, Ninth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Hours

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The lord shall hear you in the day of your trouble

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The Lord is my sphered, I shall need nothing

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Our God is our refuge and our strength

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The Liturgy of The Catechumens

  • The Pauline Epistle focuses on God’s grace
  • The Catholic Epistle focuses on human deeds
  • The Acts focus on both God’s grace and human deeds
  • The Synaxarim speaks of the Saints for us to learn from
  • The Psalm is David speaking about Jesus
  • The Gospel is read by Jesus Christ himself

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The Church Hails

  • Hiten Ni Epresvia
    • St. Mary
    • The Cherubim
    • The Seraphim
    • The Saints

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  • Forgive us our sins

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The Liturgy of The Catechumens Cont.

  • God’s words cleanse us

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“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3)

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The Creed

  • The deacpm says, En Sophia
  • You should recite The Creed loud and clear with the entire congregation
  • This is your faith!

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  • The Oneness of God
  • The Holy Trinity
  • The Incarnation, The Crucifixion, and The Resurrection
  • One Baptism
  • Eternal life

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The Prayer of Reconciliation

  • God created man in purity
  • Man sinned by temptation and so deserved death
  • God came, took our nature, and died on our behalf
  • He established peace on earth = kiss one another

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  • It is everyone's story!

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The Prayer of Reconciliation Cont.

  • The congregation enjoys a peaceful relationship with one another as the deacon declares, Greet one another with a holy kiss

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The Anaphora = Accension

  • Lift up your heart - where is your heart?

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  • We have them with the Lord

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  • Let us give thanks to the Lord

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  • Make sure your heart, feelings, and emotions are all with God

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The Anaphora = Accension Cont.

  • When Abraham met with God, he had his heart, feelings, and emotions all present ... even to offer his son as a sacrifice!

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Thanking God

  • Creation
  • Salvation
  • Promising you a place in Heaven
  • Your presence in the church
  • Having a chance for repentance
  • Having a chance to enjoy a relationship with him on Earth
  • The Spiritual Gifts of Communion (Peace, Joy, Happiness, etc.)

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Thanking God Cont.

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The Godly Gifts

  • You bring to God = God gives Back to you
  • Bread and wine = The Body and The Blood
  • Sins = Forgiveness
  • Troubles = Peace
  • Anger = Joy and Happiness
  • Promises = The power and ability to fulfill them

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Meet and Right

  • Revelation

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Holy, Holy, Holy

  • Remember Isaiah in the presence of God as he felt unworthy - the Angel took a charcoal from the Altar and touched his lips

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Transubstantiation

  • The transformation of –
    • The Bread to The Body of Christ
    • The Wine to The Blood of Christ

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The Litanies

  • The Peace of The Church
  • The Fathers
  • The Hegumens and Priests
  • All the servants
  • The Salvation of this place
  • The waters, plants, and fruits
  • The offering

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The Commemoration of The Saints

  • St. Mary
  • St. John the Baptist
  • St. Stephen
  • St. Shenounda the Archimandrite
  • The Three Gregorys
  • St. Athanasios
  • St. Bishoy
  • St. Severus
  • St. Peter
  • St. Demiana

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The Confession

  • The Priest
  • The Deacon

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Communion

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Psalm 150

  • The only way to thank God is to praise him
  • After communion, you should be happy and thankful to God

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The Bread of Life

Bread of life who came from heaven and granted life to world

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And you too Mary conceived the rational manna who came from the father

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She gave birth to him, and he gave us his body and blood and we lived forever

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Compare Your Life

  • Before Communion
    • ...

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  • After Communion
    • …

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The Divine Liturgy, Spiritual Meditations

Objectives:

  1. To understand each part of The Liturgy and mediate on its beauty

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Review Questions

  1. X

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Memorization Verses

  1. X

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