Encountering the Divine Liturgy Part 5: A Thorough Examination of the Parts of the Divine Liturgy

 

Having laid the spiritual foundation with an exploration of the parts of the Divine Liturgy, we now turn to a detailed examination of the structure and meaning of the Divine Liturgy as a whole. Each section of the Liturgy—carefully ordered and theologically rich—reveals the mystery of our participation in the heavenly worship. From the opening prayers to the final dismissal, every word, gesture, and hymn reflects the Church’s living faith and draws us deeper into communion with Christ. In this section, we will explore each part of the Liturgy in sequence, uncovering its scriptural roots, historical development, and liturgical purpose, so that we may not only understand it intellectually but also enter into it with our hearts fully engaged.

Pre Liturgy: The Hours

Introduction: The Hours as Sacred Preparation

Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the Orthodox Church traditionally prays the canonical Hours, particularly the Third (Terce) and Sixth (Sext) Hours, as a form of spiritual preparation. These brief yet profound services are not merely preludes to the Liturgy—they are part of the sanctification of time and a necessary ascetical and theological foundation upon which the Eucharistic celebration is built. They remind us that liturgical worship is not isolated from the rhythm of daily prayer but emerges from it.

The Biblical Roots of the Hours

The practice of praying at specific times of the day is rooted in Holy Scripture, especially the Psalms. King David declares, “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances” (Psalm 118[119]:164, LXX). The Third and Sixth Hours in particular have deep biblical associations:

• The Third Hour (9:00 a.m.) is when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost (Acts 2:15), making this hour especially significant in the context of Divine Liturgy, where the epiclesis—the calling down of the Holy Spirit upon the Gifts—will later take place.
  
  

• The Sixth Hour (12:00 p.m.) commemorates the crucifixion of Christ, as St. Luke records: “It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed” (Luke 23:44-45). This connection deepens the eucharistic meaning of sacrifice and redemption.
  
  

Theological Meaning: Preparing the Soul for the Mysteries

By praying the Third and Sixth Hours before the Divine Liturgy, the Church enacts a theological truth: the soul must be prepared before approaching the holy Mysteries. These services consist of Psalms, troparia, and prayers of repentance and supplication, which help cleanse the heart and focus the mind on what is to come.

The Hours thus function as a liturgical “vestibule” of the sanctuary, where the faithful pass from the distractions of the world into the stillness and spiritual alertness required for communion with God. They serve as ascetical purification, reminding us that participation in the Divine Liturgy is not passive but requires spiritual labor.  In many Orthodox Christian traditions, particularly in Greek, Russian, and Slavic customs, the Third and Sixth Hours are read consecutively before the Divine Liturgy. This practice has both practical and theological foundations.

1. Practical Liturgical Consolidation

From a practical standpoint, reading the 3rd and 6th Hours back-to-back simplifies the structure of the liturgical morning. Since both hours are relatively short—consisting mainly of Psalms, troparia, and short prayers—they are commonly combined as a single unit of pre-liturgy prayer. This practice ensures a continuous flow from the Hours into the Prothesis (Preparation of the Gifts) and eventually the Liturgy of the Catechumens, without interruption or liturgical fragmentation. This is particularly helpful in parishes where time and clergy availability may be limited, making the service more manageable while still preserving its essential structure.

2. Theological Unity and Preparation

Theologically, the 3rd and 6th Hours represent two critical moments in the mystery of salvation:

• The Third Hour recalls the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:15), prefiguring the epiclesis of the Divine Liturgy.
  
  

• The Sixth Hour commemorates the Crucifixion of Christ (Luke 23:44–46), prefiguring the sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist.
  
  

Combining them immediately before the Liturgy highlights this dual mystery: the descent of the Spirit and the sacrifice of the Cross, both of which are fulfilled in the Eucharistic offering. Placing them together intensifies the liturgical momentum leading up to the Liturgy.

3. Monastic and Liturgical Tradition

This custom is also rooted in monastic liturgical practice, where the daily cycle of services (known as the Horologion) is kept with great fidelity. In monasteries, the Hours are often read at their exact times throughout the day. However, when the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the morning, it is customary to "anticipate" the Hours, especially the 3rd and 6th, as an extended period of preparation.

This practice is reflected in the Typikon (the liturgical rulebook), which directs that on most days without an All-Night Vigil, the Hours and Liturgy are served together in this consolidated way.

Spiritual Readiness and Liturgical Coherence in the Patristic Commentary

St. Basil the Great, in his Long Rules (Rule 37), affirms the divine command to sanctify each part of the day:

“It is necessary to pray at the Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours, recalling that at these very hours Christ suffered His Passion for us.”

Similarly, St. John Cassian, in his Conferences (Conference X), emphasizes the connection between set hours of prayer and vigilance against spiritual sloth:

“The hours are not merely marks of time, but reminders of God’s saving acts and calls to attentiveness and thanksgiving.”

The Typikon of the Church affirms the necessity of the Third and Sixth Hours before the Divine Liturgy, especially on days without an All-Night Vigil, because they maintain the Church’s continuous remembrance of Pentecost and the Cross, which are fulfilled in the Eucharistic Mystery.

Conclusion: Living in Liturgical Time

Praying the Hours—especially the Third and Sixth—before the Divine Liturgy is a deeply theological act that aligns the Church’s worship with sacred time and prepares the hearts of the faithful for the eschatological reality of the Eucharist. Through them, the Church relives Pentecost and the Crucifixion, purifies the soul through Psalms and supplication, and reminds us that every Divine Liturgy stands within the full sweep of salvation history. The Hours teach us to live not in secular time, but in the sanctified rhythm of God’s saving acts, and from that rhythm, the Liturgy naturally flows.

In sum, reading the Third and Sixth Hours back-to-back before the Divine Liturgy serves both as a practical consolidation and a theological intensification of the Church’s preparation. It compresses into one coherent movement the remembrance of the Spirit’s descent and Christ’s sacrifice—both of which culminate in the Eucharist. This liturgical rhythm helps foster in the faithful a deeper sense of spiritual readiness and attentiveness before entering the sacred Mystery of the Divine Liturgy.