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Meditations on the Divine Liturgy
Nikolai Gogol, tr. Alexeieff, 1913
3. On the Second Part: The Liturgy of the Catechumens
The second part of the Liturgy is called that of the Catechumens. As the first part, the Oblation, answers to the beginning of the life of Christ, His Nativity, revealed only to the angels, and to a few people, His childhood and continuance in mysterious retirement till the time of His open appearance in the world; so the second part answers to His life among men to whom He taught the word of truth. It is called the Liturgy of the Catechumens also because, in the early times of Christianity, there were admitted to it those who were only preparing to become Christians, but had not yet received holy baptism, and were still of the number of the catechumens. Moreover, the form of the service, consisting of the reading of the Epistle and Gospel, and the more general prayers, is chiefly catechetical. The priest begins the Liturgy with the exclamation from the sanctuary, “Blessed be the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. . . .” As by the Incarnation of the Son the mystery of the Trinity became known to the world, so the ascription to the Holy Trinity goes before and illuminates the beginning of each act, and the worshipper, detaching himself from all beside, should from the first rise in thought to the kingdom of the most Holy Trinity.
The deacon standing on the ambon, facing the royal gates, represents an angel inciting the people to pray, and raising the stole, the figure of an angel’s wing, with three fingers, calls on the congregation to join in the same prayers in which, unchanged from the time of the Apostles, the Church prays, beginning with the prayer for peace, without which it is impossible to pray. The assembled worshippers, signing themselves with the cross, and striving to attune their hearts like the responsive strings of an instrument struck by the voice of the deacon, exclaim in thought, together with the choir singing, “Lord, have mercy.”
Standing on the ambon, holding the prayer-stole, figuring the outspread wing of an angel urging the people to pray, the deacon invokes to prayer: for the peace that is from above, and the salvation of our souls, for the peace of the whole world, the stability of the holy Churches of God and the union of all, for the holy temple and for those who in faith, piety, and the fear of God enter into it, for the sovereign, the Synod, the rulers spiritual and temporal, for the council, for the army, for the town, for the monastery or church where the Liturgy is celebrated, for healthiness of air, for plentifulness of the fruits of the earth, for peaceful times, for them that voyage or journey, the sick and the suffering, for those in captivity and for their salvation; that we may be spared from all tribulation, wrath, and necessity. And joining all this comprehensive chain of prayer, called the great Ectenia, or Litany, to each separate intercession, the congregation exclaims (in spirit) together with the choir, “Lord, have mercy.” In token of the weakness of our prayers, lacking spiritual purity and heavenly life, the deacon, turning his gaze to the faces of the Mother of God and of the saints represented on the iconostasis, or screen, calls on the worshippers to remember those who, better than we, knew how to pray, and who now pray for us in heaven, and to give ourselves and one another, and all our life to Christ our God. With the sincere desire to give themselves and one another and all their lives to Christ the Lord, as did those better than we, with the Mother of God and the saints, the whole Church exclaims, “To Thee, O Lord.” The chain of prayer is completed by the priest with the ascription of praise to the most Holy Trinity, which like a uniting thread runs through the whole Liturgy, beginning and ending each act. The congregation answers (by the choir) with the affirmation, “Amen, so be it.” The deacon leaves the ambon, and the chanting of the antiphons begins. The antiphons are chants chosen from the Psalms, prophetically setting forth the coming of the Son of God into the world, and are sung alternately by the two parts of the choir on either side. During the singing of the first antiphon the priest prays secretly within the sanctuary, the deacon stands in the attitude of prayer before the eikon of the Saviour, holding up the prayer-stole with three fingers. At the end of the first antiphon the deacon returns to the ambon and invokes the congregation in the words, “Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.” The congregation responds, “Lord, have mercy.”
Turning his gaze to the faces of the saints, the deacon again exhorts to remembrance of the Mother of God and of all the saints, and to the offering of themselves, and one another, and of their whole lives to God.
The choir, in the name of all the worshippers, responds, “To Thee, O Lord.” With the threefold ascription of praise the prayer ends. The whole Church responds with the affirming “Amen”; and the chanting of the second antiphon begins. During the chanting of the second antiphon the priest prays secretly within the sanctuary. The deacon again stands in the attitude of prayer before the Picture of the Saviour. At the end he again goes to the ambon, invoking by the words, “Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.” The congregation responds, “Lord, have mercy.” The deacon exclaims, “Defend, preserve, pity, and protect us, O God, by Thy grace.” The congregation responds, “Lord, have mercy.” Further: “Commemorating our most holy, undefiled, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Birth-giver of God, and ever-Virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life to Christ our God.” The congregation responds, “To Thee, O Lord.” The threefold ascription ends the prayer. The affirming “Amen” is exclaimed by the whole Church. The deacon leaves the ambon; the priest within the sanctuary prays secretly in these words: “Thou, Who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication unto Thee, and dost promise that, when two or three are gathered together in Thy Name. Thou wilt grant their requests: fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of Thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of Thy truth, and, in the world to come, life everlasting.”
From the choir sound aloud, in the hearing of all, the Beatitudes proclaimed by the Gospel of Christ. The congregation, with the cry of the penitent thief to Christ upon the Cross, “Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom,” repeats after the choir or reader these words of the Saviour: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” i.e. blessed are the humble, they who are not high-minded. “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted,” i.e. blessed are they who mourn more for their own imperfections and sins than for the injuries and offences they receive.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” i.e. blessed are they who do not nourish anger against any, all-forgiving, loving, whose weapon is all-conquering meekness.
“Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled,” i.e. blessed are they who hunger for heavenly truth, thirsting to establish it first in themselves.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy,” i.e. blessed are they who have pity upon every brother, seeing in each one who asks help Christ Himself asking for him.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” i.e. as in the pure mirror of still water, undimmed by sand or mud, the clear vault of heaven is reflected, so in the mirror of a pure heart, unsullied by passion, there is nothing earthly, and the image of God alone is reflected in it.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God,” i.e. blessed are they who, like the Son of God Himself coming down to earth in order to bring peace into our souls, bring peace and agreement into the home, like true sons of God.
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” i.e. blessed are they who are persecuted for preaching and defending the truth, not only with their lips, but by the worthiness of their own life.
“Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven”—great, for their deserts are threefold; first, that they were innocent and pure; second, that being pure they were reviled; third, that being reviled they rejoiced to suffer for Christ.
The congregation feelingly repeats these words of the Saviour, declaring who may await and hope for eternal life in the world to come, and who are the true heirs and sharers of the heavenly kingdom. Here the royal gates are solemnly opened, as it were the gate of the kingdom of heaven itself; and before the eyes of the worshippers stands revealed the shining altar, like the habitation of the glory of God and the seat of heavenly wisdom whence flows out to us the knowledge of the truth and the proclamation of eternal life.
Approaching the altar, the priest and deacon take from it the Book of the Gospels and carry it forth to the people, not through the royal gates, but through the side-door, in remembrance of the door of the side-room out of which, in primitive times, books were carried to the middle of the church to be read.
The congregation look upon the Book of the Gospels, carried by the humble ministers of the church, as upon the Saviour Himself coming forth for the first time for the work of divine preaching. He comes through the narrow north door, as though unknown, into the midst of the temple, in order, having been seen by all, to return to the holy place through the royal gates. The sacred ministers stand in the midst of the church (before the screen) with bowed heads. The priest prays secretly that He Who has established in heaven the ranks of angels and the heavenly hosts for the service of His glory would now bid these powers and spirits who serve with us to accomplish together with us the entrance into the holy place; and the deacon, indicating the royal gates with the prayer stole, says, “Bless, master, the holy entrance.” “Blessed be the entrance of Thy saints always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages,” exclaims the priest. Having held the Book of the Gospels for him to kiss, the deacon carries it into the sanctuary, but pauses between the royal gates, and raising it in his hands, exclaims, “Wisdom!” thus indicating the wisdom shown to the world through the proclamation of the Gospel, and after this he cries: “Stand!” by which he exhorts all to stand reverently. The congregation with uplifted mind, exclaims with the choir, “O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. Save, O Son of God, Who art wonderful in the saints (on Sunday, ‘Who art risen from the dead’), us who sing unto Thee. Alleluia.”
In Hebrew Alleluia means “praise be to God,” and indicates the approach or the appearance of God. This word is used every time when by solemn act the Lord Himself appears to the people under the figure of the Book of the Gospels, or in the holy gifts (sacred elements). The Book of the Gospels, which proclaims the word of life, is laid upon the altar. The choir sings either the anthem in honour of the festival or a hymn to the honour of the saint commemorated by the Church on the day, in that he resembled those spoken of by Christ in the Beatitudes which have been read, and by the example of his own life showed how, in following Christ, to rise to life eternal. After the troparion, or hymn, comes the time for the trisagion. The deacon, having asked the priest’s blessing, appears between the royal gates, and by raising the orarion gives the sign to the choir. The trisagion consists of the threefold cry to God: “Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us!” sounds through the whole church. Thrice the choir repeats the hymn, that it may resound in the hearing of all. The priest secretly within the sanctuary prays for the acceptance of the trisagion, thrice bows before the altar, and thrice repeats to himself, “Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us!” And together with him the deacon thrice repeats to himself the hymn of the trisagion, and with him thrice bows before the altar. After the threefold reverence the priest retires to the high place, as into the depth of the knowledge of God, whence flowed forth to us the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, repeating, “Blessed be He that cometh in the Name of the Lord.” Not without trembling does the priest tread the steps of the high place, and at the words of the deacon, “Bless, master, the high throne,” he proclaims: “Blessed art Thou upon the throne of Thy glory Who sittest upon the Cherubim, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.” But during the reading of the Epistle the priest sits not upon the high seat, which is reserved for the bishop, but at one side of it. Thence, as an Apostle of God, with his face to the people, he directs the attention to the reading of the Apostolic Epistle. The reader, holding the Book of the Epistles, advances to the middle of the church (below the ambon). The deacon calls upon all present, in the words, “Let us attend.” The priest, from the depth of the sanctuary, sends the reader and the congregation the wish of peace. The congregation responds by the same; but as his service should be spiritual, like the service of the Apostles, who spoke not their own words, but whose lips were moved by the Holy Spirit, they say not “Peace be with thee,” but “And with thy spirit.” The deacon exclaims, “Wisdom!” Loudly and expressively, so that each word should be heard by all, the reader begins. Carefully, with receptive heart, with seeking soul, with the reason examining the inner meaning of what is read, the congregation attends; for the reading of the Epistle serves as a kind of step or ladder to the following reading of the Gospel. When the reader has ended the priest exclaims from the sanctuary, “Peace be with thee.” The reader responds, “And with thy spirit.” The deacon again exclaims, “Wisdom!” From the choir sounds the Alleluia, which announces the approach of the Lord Who comes to speak to the people in the words of the Gospel. But before it begins, the deacon, with the censer in his hand, comes to fill the church with the sweet fragrance for the reception of the Lord; recalling by the censing the purity of soul with which we should attend to the fragrant words of the Gospel.
The priest in the sanctuary prays secretly that the light of the knowledge of God might shine into our hearts, and that the eyes of our mind might be opened to the understanding of the preaching of the Gospel. For the shining of that light into their hearts the congregation prays inwardly while preparing to listen. Having asked the blessing of the priest, and received from him the commendation, “May God, through the intercessions of the holy, glorious, and all-laudable Apostle and Evangelist N., grant utterance with great power unto thee who proclaimest the good tidings, unto the fulfilment of the Gospel of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.” The deacon proceeds to the ambon, a standard light being carried before him, signifying the all-illuminating Light of Christ before which went the witness-bearer of the Light, the Forerunner of the Lord. The priest in the sanctuary exclaims, “Wisdom. Stand up. Let us hear the holy Gospel. Peace be with all.” The choir responds, “And with thy spirit.” The deacon begins the reading.
Reverently bowing their heads, and attending to the reading of the Gospel from the ambon, as to Christ Himself speaking the Beatitudes from the Mount, all strive to receive into their hearts the seed of the holy Word, which the heavenly Sower sows by the mouth of the minister—not into hearts likened by the Saviour to the earth by the wayside, on which, though the seed fall, yet it is devoured by birds—flying thoughts of evil; not into hearts which He likens to stony ground, covered by no depth of earth—which, though they gladly receive the Word, yet let it not take root—for there is no depth of heart; neither into hearts which He likens to waste land covered by thorns—in which, though the seed spring up, yet it is soon choked by the thorns which grow up with it—the worldly cares and troubles, the innumerable distractions of the earthly, corruptible life, with its deceptive pleasures, which hinder the young growth so that it bears no seed; but, into receptive hearts, which He likens to good ground, bringing forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold, which, after leaving the church, cultivate what they have received, at home, in the family, in service, at work and at leisure, in conversation and in solitude. Each faithful soul strives to be both the hearer and the doer whom the Saviour likens to the wise man who built his house not upon the sand, but on the rock, so that, though, on leaving the church, the rain and storm of many cares may fall upon him, yet his spiritual house stands firm as a fortress upon the rock. At the end of the reading, the priest from the sanctuary proclaims to the deacon, “Peace be to thee who evangelizest.” Having been found worthy to hear the holy Gospel, all present, in thankfulness of heart, exclaim (in spirit) together with the choir, “Glory be to Thee, O Lord; glory be to Thee.” Standing between the royal gates, the priest receives the Book of the Gospels from the deacon, and places it upon the altar, even as the Word coming forth from God, and returning to Him. The sanctuary, representing the heavenly places, is now hidden from sight; the royal gates are closed, signifying that there is no other door into the kingdom of heaven but that opened by Jesus Christ when He said, “I am the Door.” Here usually, in the early times of Christianity, was the place of the sermon, the interpretation and explanation of the foregoing Gospel. But as in these days the sermon is often founded on other texts, and therefore does not always serve to explain the Gospel—it is placed at the end, so as not to disturb the ordered sequence of the Liturgy.
Representing an angel exhorting the people to pray, the deacon goes to the ambon to call on the congregation to pray more heartily and fervently: “Let us all say from our whole soul, and with our whole mind let us say,” exclaims the deacon, raising the prayer-stole. Those present respond, “Lord, have mercy.” Emphasizing the prayer by a threefold petition for mercy, the deacon again exhorts to pray for all men of whatever rank or calling, beginning with those placed highest, where it is hardest for man, where are the greatest hindrances, and his need of God’s help is the greatest. All present, knowing how much the welfare of the many depends upon the honourable fulfilment of their duties by those in authority, pray for them with special fervour, exclaiming, not once, “Lord, have mercy,” but thrice.
The whole chain of these petitions is called the increased Litany, or the Litany of Fervent Supplication. And the priest within the sanctuary, before the altar, prays for the acceptance of this Litany, and his prayer is called that of fervent petition. And if, on this day, an offering is made for the departed, then, after the increased Litany comes the Litany for those who have fallen asleep. Holding the orarion, the deacon exhorts to pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God, who are named, that God would grant them forgiveness for every transgression, voluntary or involuntary, and would bring their souls there where the righteous rest. Here each one present remembers all those near to his heart who have fallen asleep, and repeats to himself thrice after each petition of the deacon, “Lord, have mercy,” praying fervently for those dear to him, and for all departed Christians. “The mercies of God, the kingdom of heaven, and the remission of their sins, let us entreat of Christ, our Immortal King and God,” exclaims the deacon. The congregation responds (in spirit) with the choir singing, “Grant, O Lord.” And the priest within the sanctuary prays that He Who hath overcome death and given life unto the world, Himself would grant rest to His departed servants in a place of light, a place of bliss, a place of refreshment, whence pain, sorrow, and sighing flee away; and, having asked for them forgiveness for all their sins, exclaims aloud, “For Thou art the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of Thy sleeping servants, and to Thee we ascribe glory with Thy Father, Who is from everlasting, and Thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.” The choir responds with the affirming, “Amen.” The deacon begins the Litany of the catechumens. Although there are now seldom unbaptized persons, and such as are counted catechumens, yet each one present, reflecting how far he is in faith and deed from the believers in the early days of Christianity, who were found worthy to be present at the feast of love; how he, it may be said, is only taught of Christ, but has not taken Him into his very life; only hears His words, but does not do them, his faith still cold, and the fire of all-forgiving love to his brother, which melts the hardness of the soul, still wanting; thinking of all this, he contritely places himself among the number of the catechumens, and at the call of the deacon, “Catechumens, pray ye to the Lord,” from the depth of a contrite heart, responds, “Lord, have mercy.” “Ye faithful,” cries the deacon, “let us pray for the catechumens, that the Lord may have mercy upon them; may teach them the word of truth; may reveal to them the Gospel of righteousness; may unite them to His Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Save them, have mercy upon them, help them and keep them, O Lord, by Thy grace.” And the faithful, knowing how little they are worthy of the name, while they pray for the catechumens, pray also for themselves, and to each separate invocation of the deacon contritely repeat after the choir, “Lord, have mercy.” The deacon exclaims, “Catechumens, bow your heads to the Lord.” All bow their heads, repeating inwardly in their hearts, together with the choir singing, “To Thee, O Lord.” The priest secretly prays for the catechumens, and for those whose humility of spirit places them among the catechumens. His prayer is in these words: “O Lord, our God, Who dwellest on high, and beholdest the humble, Who didst send forth the salvation of the race of man, Thine only-begotten Son, our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, look down upon Thy servants the catechumens, who have bowed their necks unto Thee; and make them worthy in due season, of the laver of regeneration, of the forgiveness of sins, of the robe of immortality; unite them to Thy Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church; and number them together with Thine elect flock.” [And aloud.] “That they also, together with us, may glorify Thy honourable and majestic Name, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages.” From the choir sounds, “Amen.” As a reminder that the moment has come when, of old, the catechumens were led out of the church, the deacon exclaims loudly, “Let all the catechumens depart”; and again, raising his voice, he exclaims, “Ye catechumens, depart”; and a third time, “Ye catechumens, depart; let not any of the catechumens, but only the faithful remain; again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.” At these words all fear who feel their unworthiness, crying in thought to Christ Himself, Who drove out of the Temple of God the lawless dealers and shameless traders who turned His holy house into a mart; each one present strives to drive from the temple of his soul the carnal man, the catechumen, unfit to be present at the holy act, and cries to Christ Himself that He would make him a clean heart, make him faithful, counted among the chosen flock, of whom the Apostle said, “A holy nation, a peculiar people; lively stones in a spiritual house”—reckoned among the true believers who were present at the Liturgy in the first days of Christianity, whose countenances look upon Him from the iconostasis. Looking upon them all, he calls upon them for help, as brethren praying now in heaven, that by their prayers they might stir up in him the true believer, for the most holy act is about to take place.
The Liturgy of the Faithful begins.