Encountering the Divine Liturgy Part 4: Liturgy of the Faithful

Liturgy of the Faithful (Λειτουργία τῶν Πιστῶν)

With the command "Let us the faithful again and again in peace pray to the Lord," we enter the holiest portion of the Divine Liturgy—the Liturgy of the Faithful. In the ancient Church, this was the moment when the catechumens were dismissed, and only the baptized remained. Yet for you, the catechumen today, these words invite awe, not distance. This is the part of the Liturgy in which the Church offers the Gifts to God and receives them back, transformed. It is here that time and eternity meet, that the Cross and Resurrection become mystically present. You are not yet communing, but you are witnessing the divine exchange, and your heart can begin to burn with the fire of anticipation.

English: Liturgy of the Faithful

The central part of the Liturgy, including the Eucharist. Reserved for baptized Orthodox Christians.

A. Great Entrance / Offertory (Προσκομιδή τῶν Δώρων)

English: (Μεγάλη Εἴσοδος) Great Entrance and Preparation of the Gifts

The Liturgy now turns outward in beauty and mystery as the bread and wine, veiled and carried with incense and chant, are processed through the Church and placed on the Holy Altar. This is called the Great Entrance. It is not merely a ceremonial action—it reveals Christ going willingly to His Passion. The priest carries the Gifts as the Body of Christ once carried the Cross. The faithful sing, "Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim..." reminding us that we are not just attending a service—we are standing in the courts of Heaven. For you, the catechumen, this is a window into what worship truly is: a union of Earth and Heaven, body and spirit, seen and unseen.

1. Εἴσοδος τῶν Τιμίων Δώρων (Great Entrance)
2. Εὐχαί Προσφοράς (Offertory Prayers)
3. Σύμβολον τῆς Πίστεως (Nicene Creed)

B.  The Eucharistic Prayer Ἀνάφορα (Anaphora)

English: Eucharistic Prayer

The central offering and consecration of the Holy Gifts.

The heart of the Divine Liturgy beats in the Anaphora, the great Eucharistic Prayer. The word itself means "offering up." Here, the Church lifts up her gifts—and her very life—to God, and God sends down His Holy Spirit upon them and upon us. This is the place of transfiguration. Bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. It is not magic, nor metaphor, but mystery—pure and holy. As the priest prays aloud and silently, and as the faithful respond with awe and song, you as a catechumen are invited to listen with the ears of the soul. Even now, you are being taught what it means to surrender, to offer, to be transformed.

Subsections:

1. Εὐχαριστία (Eucharistia) – Thanksgiving
2. Ὕμνος τῶν Σεραφείμ (Hymnos tōn Seraphim) – Hymn of the Seraphim: Holy, Holy, Holy
3. Ἐξιστορικὸς Λόγος (Words of Institution / Narrative) – Take, eat...
4. Ἀνάμνησις (Anamnesis) – Remembrance of the Cross, Resurrection, etc.
5. Προσφορά (Prosphora) – Carrying forward "Thine own of Thine own..."

Epiklesis (Ἐπίκλησις)  – ‘Calling Down’ the Holy Spirit upon the Offering Invocation of the Holy Spirit

At the climax of the Anaphora, the priest calls upon the Holy Spirit in the Epiclesis—a solemn invocation asking that the Holy Spirit descend upon the Gifts to sanctify them, making them the true Body and Blood of Christ. This moment is deeply mysterious. It is here that Heaven answers the offering of Earth. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at Creation now hovers over the altar. As a catechumen, consider what it means to be part of this moment—not simply to observe, but to be changed. The Holy Spirit not only transforms the Gifts but desires to transform you, preparing you for the life of communion.

1. Δέησις Ὑπὲρ Ὅλης τῆς Ἐκκλησίας – Prayers for the Whole Church
2. Σύναξις Ἁγίων – Synaxis of the Holy Ones; Commemoration of the Theotokos and all Saints
3. Μνημόσυνα Ζώντων καὶ Κεκοιμημένων – Commemoration of the Living and the one who have fallen Asleep (the Dead)

C. Preparation for Communion (Προετοιμασία Θείας Μεταλήψεως)

English: Pre-Communion Rites

Subsections:

1. Εἰρηνικαί (Litany of Supplication)
2. Κύριε ἐλέησον (Lord, have mercy)
3. Πατερ ἡμῶν (The Lord’s Prayer)
4. Κλίσις τῆς Κεφαλῆς (Bowing of Heads)
5. Ἀνάληψις τῶν Τιμίων Δώρων (Elevation of the Holy Gifts)
6. Μελίζω καὶ διανέμω (Breaking of the Lamb)
7. Θερμὸν (Warming of the Chalice)
8. Κοινωνία (Holy Communion)

"With the fear of God, faith, and love, draw near." These words announce the moment of Holy Communion. The faithful now come to receive the very Body and Blood of Christ. This is the goal of the Liturgy—the union of the believer with God. As a catechumen, you are not yet permitted to receive, but you are being taught what it means to hunger for God. Watching the faithful approach with humility, hearing the words of the priest, and witnessing the sacred reverence of the moment—all of this prepares your soul. The time will come when you, too, will "taste and see that the Lord is good."

D. Thanksgiving After Communion (Εὐχαριστία Μετὰ τὴν Κοινωνίαν) 

English: Post-Communion Thanksgiving

Subsections:

1. Ὕμνος: Εἴδομεν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν (We have seen the True Light)
2. Λειτουργικὰ Αἰτήματα (Final Litanies)
3. Εὐχαριστία (Thanksgiving Prayer)
4. Ἀπόλυσις (Dismissal)

The Divine Liturgy concludes not with an end, but with a sending forth. In the Dismissal, the priest blesses the people and sends them into the world with peace and grace. The Liturgy does not stop—it continues in the life of the Church and in the life of each believer. For you, the catechumen, the Dismissal is a reminder: what has been heard, seen, and touched in this Holy Liturgy is meant to shape your life. You are being called not only to baptism but to a life that reflects the Liturgy—to become a living offering, a true servant of the Kingdom.

1. Εὐλογία (Final Blessing)
2. Διανομή ἀντιδώρου (Distribution of the Antidoron)