Encountering the Divine Liturgy Part 22: The Cherubic Hymn and the Great Censing (With Open Doors)

 I. Introduction: A Shift into Mystery

With the dismissal of the catechumens and the prayers of the faithful concluded, the Church begins to enter into the sacred mystery of the Eucharist. This transition is marked by the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, one of the most mystical and angelic hymns of the entire Divine Liturgy.

Before the Great Entrance of the holy gifts, the faithful are now invited to lay aside all earthly cares, and participate mystically in the heavenly liturgy — not as spectators, but as members of the Body of Christ, standing alongside the cherubim themselves.

II. The Text of the Cherubic Hymn (first half)

"Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim
And who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity,
Now lay aside all earthly cares,
That we may receive the King of all,
Who comes invisibly upborne by the angelic hosts."

This is the first half of the hymn, sung slowly and reverently, during which the great censing of the church occurs and the Holy Doors are opened.

III. The Great Censing: Symbolism and Theological Meaning

During this portion, the priest or deacon censes the entire altar, sanctuary, clergy, icons, and people—the entire Body of Christ—accompanied by incense and open Royal Doors. This act is not merely ceremonial but deeply biblical and eschatological.

1. Old Testament Roots

Incense in Scripture is associated with the presence of God and the prayers of the saints:

“Let my prayer arise in Thy sight as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.”
— Psalm 140 (141):2, LXX

In the Tabernacle and Temple, incense was used at the altar of incense, placed before the veil separating the Holy of Holies — a clear typological forerunner of our Liturgy.

2. Revelation and the Heavenly Liturgy

The Book of Revelation explicitly describes incense as part of heavenly worship:

“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer... and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God.”
— Revelation 8:3–4

This passage is directly reflected in the censing of the altar and the faithful, revealing the unity between the heavenly liturgy and our earthly worship. The open doors signify the veil being drawn back, as at the death of Christ (Matthew 27:51), revealing the Holy of Holies and giving the people access to divine communion.

3. Eschatological Foretaste

The use of incense, the opening of the Royal Doors, and the solemnity of the hymn prefigure the Second Coming, when Christ will enter in glory. The faithful, having “laid aside all earthly cares,” are now made ready to receive the King of All, who will be presented in the Great Entrance.

“We imitate the Cherubim, for the King is about to come. We make way not only for the gifts, but for the Lord Himself.”
— St. Germanus of Constantinople, On the Divine Liturgy

IV. Laying Aside All Earthly Cares

This line, central to the hymn, is a call to interior stillness, or hesychia—to set aside not just distractions, but all self-centered anxieties, burdens, and worldly attachments.

“As we stand with angels, how can we carry our passions into such a place? Lay them aside! That is what it means to live the Liturgy.”
— St. Theophan the Recluse

The Cherubic Hymn thus prepares both body and soul for what is to come. We are no longer simply observers or listeners; we are being drawn into the very movement of the heavenly court, joining the angels in praise and receiving the King who is invisibly present.

V. Conclusion: Threshold of Glory

Only after the completion of this hymn’s first half and the censing with open doors does the Great Entrance occur, during which the holy gifts are solemnly carried through the church. But this moment is more than a procession—it is a manifestation of Christ’s entrance into our midst, carried mystically and gloriously.

The Cherubic Hymn and its accompanying censing, therefore, form a liturgical threshold, drawing the faithful into direct participation in the angelic worship of heaven. It is a moment of solemn mystery, stillness, and awe—an echo of the Kingdom to come, already present in our midst.