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Holy Catechism

Nikolaos Voulgaris, tr. Daniel, 1893

Of the Great Entrance

This portion of the Divine Mystic Rite is the most essential and important, in fact, the very final cause and the reason of the Mystery; since through the reason-transcending visitation of the All-holy and Rite-completing Spirit therein comes to pass the unspeakable Transubstantiation of the Divine and Spotless Mysteries, the Sanctification of the Faithful, and the liberal grace of the abundant wealth of the infinitely powerful works of God. For this reason, as we saw, at this point expulsion was made from the church as unworthy, of Catechumens, and Energumens, and all in Penance, namely, Weepers, Hearers, and Prostrates, and only the Faithful remained in the church diligent in prayer and supplication.

Let none of the Catechumens (hear). All who are Faithful.

“What is the prayer that should go up from all, particularly what prayer is suitable after the Gospel?” inquires Nicolas Cabasilas, ch. 13. And he replies, “The prayer of those who keep the Gospel, who have copied Christ’s love towards man signified by the Gospel.” These are none but the Faithful. And certainly “one hath faith to eat all things, another who is weak, eateth herbs.” Rom. xiv. 2. Whatever is said previously in the presence of the Catechumens, who are called, and indeed are weak in faith, is mere herbs compared with the subsequent unspeakable Transubstantiation of the Divine and Spotless Mysteries. And this is not suitable for them to eat.

I specially observe that in this third part of the Holy Liturgy after the Catechumens and the Penitents have gone out from the church, even if one of the Faithful wished to come, it was no longer permitted him. So we read in the Canons of the holy Apostles themselves. “Let the Deacons stand (it refers to the time of the Holy Liturgy that we have come to) at the men’s door, and the Subdeacons at the women’s, that no one may go out, nor a door be opened, even though one of the Faithful be there, at the time of the Divine offering.” And therefore the Brother of the Lord cries so loudly: “Let none of the Catechumens, let none of the Uninitiated, let none of those who cannot join us in prayer! Take note of one another. Close the doors. All stand.” He says, All stand; since at this time, as we saw, the Catechumens, the Energumens, and the Penitents left the church, saving the Standers, συνεστῶτες or συνιστάμενοι, who stood in company, or stood together with the Faithful without offering and prayed, the rubric says, upright with the Faithful. “For the upright posture of prayer the laws of the Church have taught us to prefer,” is the teaching of Basil, the Light of Heaven, ch. 27 to Amphilochius.¹ And in his Commentary Theodore Balsamon writes, For when “we look upwards in an upright posture, we are reminded of what is future and heavenly.” The service of kneeling is yearly proclaimed by the Holy Eastern Church at the Vespers of the Spirit-bringing Pentecost, or of the Holy Ghost.

70. Ex. Let us proceed to what is called the Great Entrance.

C. This Entrance signifies in the first place the Entombment of Christ, when Joseph and Nicodemus took Him from Golgotha and buried Him. And so the Table is, as we said before, in token of the Sepulchre that received Christ’s Body; the Prothesis in token of the hill Golgotha. “The holy Table is to represent the entombment of Christ, at which Joseph took down the Body from the Cross, and wrapped it in clean linen, and bestowed it in a new tomb hewn out of the rock.” So when placing the precious Gifts upon the holy Table, the Priest says, “Joseph of honourable estate took down from the tree Thy spotless Body,” &c.

Others are of opinion that this Entrance symbolizes also the arrival of the Lord from Bethany at Jerusalem. “For then the most part of the multitude and the children of the Hebrews were openly offering their hymn to Him as King and conqueror over death. Many will have it that by this Entrance is also set forth the Entrance of all the Saints and Righteous ones who come in with Him Who is the Holy of Holies. “The Cherubic powers coming in before, with which also the Holy Spirit enters together in the front, mentally seen in fire, and incense, and vapour of fragrant smoke;” so writes Saint Germanus.

Symeon of Thessalonica alleges, in his book on the Temple and Liturgy, a fourth meaning of the Great Entrance. “This exhibits the last coming of Christ, wherein He shall come, He saith, with glory. Wherefore in front comes the Pall (omophorion) with the Cross on it, which signifies the sign of Jesus, which is to appear from heaven to mankind, and Jesus Himself; next the deacons in order, ranking as the Angels; and this is what is meant by the Fans, which Dionysius calls Wings. Next, those who hold the divine Gifts, after whom follow all the others and those who have on their head the holy Veil which holds the figure of Jesus naked and dead. These therefore make the circuit of the church, and pray over the people, and enter into the Altar space, all praying for the High Priest; wherein they make mention of no other prayer, but of the kingdom of God. These things teach all men how in the end, after the departure of the wicked, the Saviour having appeared, the inheritance for the Faithful will be nothing else than the Kingdom of God. Christ Himself is the Kingdom of God, and the view of His dispensation; the humiliation unto death, being slain on our behalf; the beholding that slain Victim, the divine and quickening Body, showing its wounds—that Body slain indeed, but winning for us the prize of victory over death, and from its wounds granting to us immortality and life, and the privilege of view with the Angels, and food and drink and life and light, the Very Bread of Life, which is the true light, Eternal Life, Christ Jesus. Wherefore this Entrance both signifies Christ’s Second Coming, and the Burial; for it is He Who will be, as has been said, the Vision hereafter.”

And do not suppose for this cause that Christians are Bread-worshippers or Wine-worshippers, as some enemies of truth and piety have scandalously said. Seeing that, as he says, “All the Faithful duly bow down before the priests, partly as asking their prayers, and requesting these to remember them in the celebration; partly out of honour to the Divine Gifts; for though they have not been consecrated, yet they have been offered to God in the Prothesis; and the Priest there offered the Prayer to God, and spoke of His accepting them on the heavenly Altar. For though they have not yet been perfected, yet they are prepared for perfecting, and are dedicated to God, and represent the Lord’s Body and Blood. If therefore we pay honour and worship to the Holy Images, how much more to the very Gifts which are antitypes, as the great Basil says?”² So too Cabasilas acknowledges, ch. 24, that there is a great difference between the worship (Latreia) we render at the Entrance of the Liturgy of the Presanctified, and the adoration (Proskynesis) we pay to the Mysteries³ at the Entrance in the other Liturgies. “And he speaks of a great difference between the one Rite and the other; for the one at this Entrance has the gifts unsacrificed and not yet perfected; the other has them perfect and sanctified, both Body and Blood.”

Nevertheless all that is done in the Liturgy of the Presanctified, is publicly attended to also here; and indeed the honourable guard over the precious gifts, and the people’s reception thereof with fear and trembling, and their adoration is so ancient in the Church that we have it from Saint James the Lord’s brother. “Let all mortal flesh be silent, and stand with fear and trembling, and hold within no earthly thought; for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Christ our God advances to be slain and to be given for food to the Faithful. And he is preceded by the choirs of Angels with every power and authority and so forth:” the Cherubic Hymn which the Readers used then to sing at the period of the holy Entrance;⁴ exactly as now in our day it usually takes place, so does Cabasilas describe it in the proper chapter.

“The priest, says he, lifting the Gifts over his head very reverently, goes out, and so conveys them and brings them to the Altar, bringing what is requisite into the Temple slowly and with measured step. And they sing and fall down before him with shamefastness and reverence, praying that they may be remembered by him at the presentation of the Gifts: and he advances accompanied by torches and incense, and in this array enters the Altar space.” So Symeon of Thessalonica: “The Guarding of the precious Gifts and Entrance is arranged with magnificence, Readers, Deacons, Priests preceding and attending with lamps and sacred vessels.”

At Constantinople Curopalates describes at length the pomp of the Great Entrance, introducing even our pious Emperors themselves as accompanying the procession.

At the beginning of singing the venerable hymn at the Great Entrance, he writes in the treatise on the offices of Constantine’s Palace, the more honourable Deacons of the Church come and summon the Emperor; and he comes with them to what is called the Prothesis, where lie the holy elements; moreover standing outside the Prothesis he puts on over the Robe (σάκκος) also the golden Mantle of the Diadem; and with his right hand he holds the cross, as it is customary for the Emperor to hold it, when he wears the Crown; and in his left hand he holds the staff, namely the Royal Sceptre. He holds for the time the ecclesiastical rank which they call Depote.⁵ So the Emperor holding both these, i.e., the cross and the staff, leads the whole Entrance. On either side he is accompanied by all the Body-Guard with battle axes, and by young nobles in armour, about a hundred. These accompany the Emperor, flanking him, as has been said; and next the Emperor, at once behind him come the Deacons and Priests carrying other vessels of the Sanctuary, and specially the holy elements. Having traversed the Nave as the custom is, they advance to the Soleas. All the rest then stand outside, only the Emperor passes the Soleas and finds the Patriarch standing at the Holy Gates. Both of them incline their heads, the Patriarch inside, the Emperor without, in the fashion of a salute. Thereupon comes the next in order of the Deacons, in his right hand holding the censer, in his left what is called the pall (omophorium) of the Patriarch—and in old times the Church had also an Archdeacon, now however no longer, though the Royal Clergy have such an officer. The second in rank therefore censes the Emperor, and as the latter bows his head, cries with a loud voice, “May the Lord God remember the might of thy kingdom in His kingdom, always, now and ever and through all the ages.” The same is said too by all the Deacons who come after him, and by the priests who follow them. And they all say as follows also to the Patriarch on coming into the Bema, “May the Lord God remember thy Highpriesthood in His kingdom, always, now and ever,” &c. And when this is finished, again the Emperor addresses the Patriarch and strips off the golden Mantle we spoke of; this the Referendary of the Church is wont to carry: and the Emperor again coming to the Throne sits down, only rising at the reading the Holy Creed and at the Prayer “Our Father,” and at the elevation of the Lord’s holy Body.

The Cherubic Hymn which is sung whilst the Great Entrance actually takes place, Cedrenus will have it, came from the time of Justin, the Orthodox Emperor, cousin and successor of the great Justinian. “In his time, he writes, under the ninth year of his reign, ‘Of Thy mystic Supper’ was ordered to be sung on the Great Thursday; but there came also the image made without hands from Camuliana, a village in Cappadocia; and the precious wood from the city of Apamea in the Second Syria. And the Cherubic Hymn was ordered to be sung.” With this the Church rouses us, since we represent the very Cherubim and the orders of angels, to chase away and fling off from us all the care of life, namely, all the thoughts of the world, since we are about to receive⁶ the King of glory, our Lord and God with His body-guard, that is to say, attended and borne by the Angels.

“While angelic hosts enter with us and Incorporeal Bands, and while orders of immaterial Beings precede and sing hymns and keep guard before the great King Christ as He advances to the mystic sacrifice and is borne by material hands.”—Germanus. This is what the fans also signify, which the Deacons at this Entrance wave over the precious gifts, forasmuch as these too are an emblem of the Cherubim standing by in fear and trembling. About these also the Patriarch Photius writes (Bk. vi., ch. 25) how “on either side of the ministers of the holy rites they carry the symbols of the six-winged seraphs, and wave over the awful elements outspread fans made of feathers.”

Therefore likewise the Priest at the time when this holy and awful Entrance of the Mysteries is going to take place with a view to becoming the Body and Blood of Christ, prays by himself and confesses with tears thus:—

None of those who are in the chains of fleshly lusts and pleasures (we transcribe these mystical prayers, exhibiting much compunction for the warning and knowledge of the Laity) none is worthy to approach or draw near, or minister to Thee, O King of glory; for ministering to Thee is great and fearful even to the Heavenly Powers: but nevertheless for Thine unspeakable and immeasurable love towards man, without change or alteration Thou hast become man, and wast called our High Priest, and didst commit to us the celebration of this liturgical and Unbloody Sacrifice, as being Master of all. For Thou alone, O Lord our God, rulest the things in heaven and earth, Thou Who ridest on the Cherubic throne, Lord of the Seraphim and King of Israel, Who alone art holy and restest in the sanctuary [or in Thy saints.] Thee therefore I importune, Who only art good and attentive, look on me Thy sinful and useless servant, and purify my soul and heart from an evil conscience, and enable me with the power of Thy Holy Spirit, clad with the grace of Priesthood to assist at this Thy holy table, and consecrate Thy stainless Body and precious Blood. For to Thee I come bowing my neck, and pray Thee turn not Thy face from me, nor reject me from Thy servants; but vouchsafe that these gifts may be offered to Thee by me Thy sinful and unworthy servant. For Thou art the Offerer and the Victim, the Receiver and the Gift, O Christ our God, and to Thee we render the glory with Thy unoriginated Father and Thy All-Holy, good and lifegiving Spirit, now and always and for ever and ever.

Let every one consider how great attention and caution he must have at such a holy time. Many with all contrition and compunction say secretly the psalm “Have mercy upon me, O God;” others recite the six psalms;⁷ others various prayers, as God enlightens them.

The incense after this holy prayer of compunction is an emblem of the mixture of myrrh and aloes used at Christ’s entombment. “And Nicodemus likewise came, who had come to Jesus at the first by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes about an hundred pound weight,” John xix. 39. The censing again which takes place after the Priest has placed the holy elements on the Table, covering them with the Aer, which is used as we explained for the Stone wherewith Joseph made sure the sepulchre, represents the spices of the ointment-bearers, those which “when the Sabbath was passed, the Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome brought, that they might come and anoint Him,” Mark xvi. 1.

“Lo, Christ is crucified, the Life is buried, the Tomb is made sure, the Stone is sealed;” with these words the blessed Germanus explains the ministry of the Great Entrance.

As though he were telling us about Christ at such a holy hour, Cabasilas in his 6th ch. comments: “So came He to His passion, so He died, so was He pierced in His side, so from the pierced side flowed forth the Blood and the Water, so was He buried, &c.” And the Patriarch Jeremiah: “And the whole Rite of the Initiated is like one image of the one body of the Saviour’s course of life, bringing under view all its parts from beginning to end in their mutual order and harmony; the earliest portions of the Service exhibiting the first portions of the Divine dispensation, the second the portions next, and the last those which come after.” And marvel not if one single thing in the Liturgy signifies many, because “what is single in the things now symbolized is celebrated and rehearsed in two or three of what then happened,” as we heard from Germanus of Constantinople in his Mystic View, and as we pointed out in the Introduction.

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