The Structure of the Divine Liturgy

The Structure of the Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is the central act of worship of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In it, the Church does not merely remember Christ, but enters sacramentally into the Kingdom of God. Christ’s command, “Do this in remembrance of Me,” is understood not as mental recollection but as living participation in His once-for-all saving work.

Through the Divine Liturgy, heaven and earth are united. The faithful are gathered into the worship of the heavenly hosts, and the life of the age to come is made present within time.

Proskomedia

The Divine Liturgy begins with the Proskomedia, the service of preparation, which takes place before the public portion of the Liturgy. During this rite, the priest prepares the bread and wine that will later be consecrated as the Body and Blood of Christ.

Christ is commemorated at the center of the offering, surrounded by particles representing the Theotokos, the saints, the living, and the departed. This reveals that the Eucharist is offered on behalf of the entire Church, both visible and invisible, and not only those physically present.

The hidden nature of the Proskomedia teaches that God’s saving work precedes human action. Just as Christ was prepared for His public ministry in humility and obscurity, so the Eucharistic offering is prepared quietly before being revealed to the faithful. Salvation is shown to be God’s initiative rather than a human achievement.

The Liturgy of the Catechumens

The public service begins with the proclamation, “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” With this declaration, the Church announces that she now stands within the reality of God’s Kingdom. Worship is immediately placed in a Trinitarian and eschatological context.

This portion of the Liturgy is centered on the proclamation of the Word of God. Through psalms, hymns, Scripture readings, and the homily, divine revelation is announced and received by the assembled faithful.

Scripture is not read as a private or academic text, but proclaimed within the living worship of the Church. This reveals that the Scriptures belong properly to the Church’s liturgical life and are interpreted within Holy Tradition.

The Liturgy of the Faithful

The Liturgy of the Faithful is the most sacred portion of the Divine Liturgy. It begins with the Great Entrance, during which the prepared bread and wine are carried in solemn procession to the altar.

This action symbolizes both Christ’s voluntary journey toward His Passion and the offering of the entire life of the Church to God. The faithful are reminded that the Eucharist is not performed on their behalf alone, but is an offering in which they participate by presenting their whole lives to God.

The Anaphora

At the heart of the Divine Liturgy is the Anaphora, the Eucharistic prayer. In this prayer, the Church gives thanks to God, recalls creation and salvation history, confesses the Holy Trinity, proclaims Christ’s death, resurrection, and second coming, and invokes the Holy Spirit upon the gifts.

The Orthodox Church teaches that the transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. This reflects the Orthodox understanding of salvation itself: divine grace acts first, and humanity responds in faith and obedience.

Holy Communion

Holy Communion is the culmination of the Divine Liturgy. The faithful receive the true Body and Blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal life.

Communion is not symbolic remembrance but real participation in the life of Christ. Those who receive are united to Him and to one another, becoming one Body in Christ.

Proper reception requires repentance, humility, and unity of faith, emphasizing that communion with Christ is inseparable from communion with His Church.

Dismissal

The Divine Liturgy concludes with the dismissal, sending the faithful back into the world. Having entered the Kingdom and communed with Christ, they are called to live as witnesses to what they have received.

The dismissal teaches that worship does not end at the church doors but continues in daily life through prayer, love, repentance, and obedience to God.

The structure of the Divine Liturgy reveals the Orthodox understanding of salvation and reality itself. God prepares and calls His people, the Word is proclaimed, the Church offers herself, the Holy Spirit sanctifies the gifts, the faithful commune with Christ, and the Church is sent into the world transformed.

The Divine Liturgy is therefore the Gospel lived and enacted, preserving the faith not only through doctrine, but through worship that has remained continuous from the apostolic age to the present.