Encountering the Divine Liturgy Part 29: The Megalynarion and Commemorations During the Anaphora

 

And taking the censer, the priest exclaims:

Especially our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, glorious Lady, Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary.

And he censes before the holy table thrice.
Then the deacon censes the holy table round about, and he remembers whom he will of the living and the dead. The choir sings:

Meet it is in truth to bless thee, O Theotokos, who art ever blessed and all-blameless, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious without compare than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, verily Theotokos, we magnify thee.

    Or instead of Meet it is, the Hermos of the feast that is being celebrated. The priest prays:

For the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, the holy glorious and all-laudable Apostles, Saint Name, whose memory we celebrate, and all thy saints, through whose supplications do thou look upon us, O God.
And remember all those who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection unto life eternal,
And he remembers by name whom he will of those who have fallen asleep.
And give them rest where the light of thy face watcheth over them.
Again we call upon thee, remember, O Lord, the whole episcopate of the Orthodox rightly dividing the word of thy truth, all the presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, and every priestly order.
Again we offer unto thee this rational worship for the world, for the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, for those who continue in purity and in a sober way of life, for all civil authorities and the armed forces. Grant them, O Lord, peaceful times, that we also in their tranquility, may lead a calm and quiet life in all piety and sobriety.

The Megalynarion, which follows the Epiclesis and continues the Great Eucharistic Intercession. It is a profound act of remembrance and exaltation—extending both vertically toward heaven and horizontally toward the entire Church—uniting the entire Body of Christ in prayer.

Exaltation of the Theotokos: The Megalynarion

The priest begins by exalting the Theotokos, calling her "all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, glorious Lady, Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary." This exclamation, coupled with a triple censing before the altar, inaugurates the liturgical moment where the Church turns its attention to the Mother of God, who stands as the highest intercessor among the saints. She is not worshipped, but magnified—acknowledged as the chosen vessel who bore God the Word, the link between heaven and earth, time and eternity.

The choir responds by singing the Megalynarion (Magnification), most often:

“It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos…”

This hymn is a confession of Orthodox Christology and Mariology, affirming that she gave birth to God the Word “without corruption.” The exaltation of Mary is therefore Christocentric: her glory derives from her role in the Incarnation. The faithful declare her more honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious than the Seraphim—not due to essence, but due to the unique mystery she embodies, having physically contained the uncontainable God.

On feast days, this hymn is replaced by the irmos of the 9th Ode of the Canon of the feast, tying the Liturgy directly to the festal cycle and making the celebration of the Incarnation, Resurrection, or other salvific events liturgically present.

Commemoration of Saints and the Departed

Following this exaltation, the priest continues the prayer of intercession, beginning with St. John the Baptist, the Apostles, and the saint of the day (whose memory is being celebrated), and "all thy saints." The theology here is unmistakably communion-centered: the Church exists not in isolation but in continuity with those who have attained holiness. Their prayers are not optional pleasantries but vital supplications offered for us before the throne of God.

The priest then petitions for those who have "fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection unto life eternal." Here, the remembrance of the departed is not an act of mourning but an eschatological hope. The priest names those for whom he wishes to intercede, and prays that God would “give them rest where the light of thy face watcheth over them”—a poetic image of divine presence and mercy, echoing Psalm 4:6 and the vision of eternal life in Revelation.

Intercession for the Living and the Church

The prayer expands again, embracing the entire ecclesiastical hierarchy—the bishops “rightly dividing the word of truth,” presbyters, deacons, and all priestly orders. These are not merely administrative offices, but spiritual shepherds who must remain faithful to the apostolic deposit (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15).

Finally, the prayer includes the whole world, asking that God would grant peace to civil authorities and the armed forces. This petition is deeply rooted in 1 Timothy 2:1–2, which urges intercessions for kings and rulers so that Christians may “lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” This is not subservience to earthly powers, but a recognition that external peace can support the inner peace needed for salvation. Even secular order can become a tool of divine providence.

Conclusion

Part 30 of the Divine Liturgy reveals the deep interconnectedness of the Church’s life: glorifying the Theotokos as the bearer of salvation, uniting with the saints, interceding for the living and the dead, and praying for the well-being of the world. It reflects the Church’s comprehensive vision of salvation—cosmic, historical, and personal. The offering that began as “Thine own of Thine own” now resounds through the heavens and the earth, encompassing the entirety of human life and culminating in a symphony of intercession, thanksgiving, and exaltation before the face of God.