An explanation of the Liturgy

The divine Liturgy is known by several names. The first name — Liturgy — is Greek and means “common service,” which points to the fact that in the mystery of holy Communion a sacrifice is offered to God for the whole believing people, for the sins both of the living and of the dead. The Greeks also called the holy mystery of Communion the “Eucharist,” and so the Liturgy is often called the Eucharist. In the time of the apostles the Liturgy was also called “the breaking of bread” (Acts 3:46).

At the Liturgy the faithful commemorate the life and the teaching of Jesus Christ, from the Saviour's nativity to His ascension.

The order of celebrating the Liturgy is as follows: first the matter and the sacred objects for the celebration of the mystery are prepared. Then the faithful prepare themselves for the mystery; finally the mystery itself is celebrated and the faithful receive Communion. Therefore the Liturgy is divided into three parts:

1. The Proskomedia; 2. The Liturgy of the Catechumens; 3. The Liturgy of the Faithful. 1. The Proskomedia

The first part of the Liturgy, at which the matter is prepared for the celebration of the holy mystery, is called the proskomedia.

In ancient times the Christians who came to the Liturgy brought bread and wine with them for holy Communion, and so this part is called the “proskomedia,” which in Greek means “bringing.”

For the celebration of the mystery of holy Communion bread and wine are necessary. The bread must be leavened, since this is precisely the bread Christ used at the Mystical Supper. In appearance the bread, that is, the prosphora, must be: 1. round; 2. in two parts, signifying the two natures of Christ, the divine and the human; 3. it must have a cross depicted on top, as a sign that this bread is intended for the Divine service; and 4. on the cross the following inscription must be depicted: “Jesus Christ conquers,” which means that Christ has conquered all. The wine must be of the grape, and red in colour. Of the grape, because the Saviour Himself at the Mystical Supper communed with the wine of the grape; and red, because that is the colour of blood. For the proskomedia five prosphoras are needed, which remind us of the Saviour's feeding of five thousand with five loaves.

Before the beginning of the Liturgy the priest puts on the epitrachelion, stands on the ambo before the closed Royal Doors and reads the so-called “entrance prayers”; then he goes into the sanctuary, is vested in the full priestly vestments, and washes his hands, which expresses his spiritual purity and readiness to celebrate the holy mystery (in ancient times the ministers washed their hands before carrying the holy offering from the table of preparation to the holy table; that is why even now a hierarch washes his hands during the singing of the “Cherubic Hymn,” before the Great Entrance). After this the priest approaches the table of preparation and from the five prosphoras prepared for the proskomedia chooses the best, from which he prepares the Lamb, the gift to be offered, according to a set order. After the exclamation he makes the sign of the cross three times over this prosphora with the spear and says the words: “In remembrance of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ.” After this he cuts the sides of the prosphora with the spear and says the words of the prophet Isaiah: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter…” and “And as a spotless lamb before its shearer is dumb…”, “In his humiliation his judgement was taken away,” “And who shall declare his generation?”, “For his life is taken up from the earth…” (Isaiah 53:7–8). Then he cuts the Lamb from below in the form of a cross with these words: “Sacrificed is the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world, for the life and salvation of the world,” places it on the diskos, pierces it on the right side with the spear and says: “One of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water: and he that saw it bare record, and his record is true” (John 19:34–35). At these words he pours wine and water into the chalice and blesses the union.

From the second prosphora he takes a sizeable particle in the name of the most holy Mother of God and places it on the diskos to the right of the Lamb. From the third prosphora he takes particles in the name of the nine ranks, in which are included: John the Baptist, the prophets, the apostles, the hierarchs, the martyrs, the venerable fathers and mothers, the unmercenaries, the parents of the Mother of God and all the saints, and Basil the Great or John Chrysostom, whichever Liturgy is to be celebrated. These nine particles are placed to the left of the Lamb. From the fourth prosphora the priest takes two particles: one for the patriarch and his rank, and the other for the God-preserved nation, its government and its army, and places them below the Lamb. From the fifth prosphora he takes one particle for the departed. With this the proskomedia ends; both the living and the departed are commemorated, and particles are taken from the prosphoras that have been offered as well, and placed below the Lamb.

The priest blesses the censer, takes the asterisk, passes it over the censer and sets it on the diskos; likewise he passes the small veils over the censer and covers the chalice and diskos with them, and with the large veil both of them. While these actions are performed, special prayers are read. After this the priest reads the general prayer over the gifts set forth, in which he commemorates both those who offered them and those for whom they were offered. At the end the small dismissal takes place.

At the celebration of the proskomedia the church objects and actions have the following symbolic meanings: 2. The Liturgy of the Catechumens

The diskos signifies heaven; the asterisk, that miraculous star which went before the Magi at the nativity of Christ; the small veils are the swaddling bands in which the newborn Child Jesus was wrapped and laid in the manger. The large veil is the shroud in which the body of Jesus was wrapped. The chalice signifies the cup with which Christ gave communion at the Mystical Supper; the table of preparation signifies both the manger of Bethlehem, where our Lord was born, and Golgotha, where He was crucified. The whole prosphora from which the Lamb of God is to be prepared represents the Mother of God, from whom Jesus Christ was to be born. When the priest lays the prosphora on the diskos, he signifies the high priest who led the most holy Mother of God into the Holy of Holies. The particles cut out and placed around the Lamb on the diskos signify the Church founded by Christ. The censing at the proskomedia signifies the descent of the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts being offered. In general, the priest's preparation of the holy Lamb represents the nativity and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The second part of the Liturgy is called the Liturgy of the Catechumens, because the catechumens too have the right to be present at it — that is, those preparing to be baptised — and those in penance as well, that is, those barred from holy Communion. The Liturgy of the Catechumens is the teaching and instructive part of the Liturgy.

When the proskomedia has ended, the priest with uplifted hands entreats God to send down the Holy Spirit upon them and to strengthen them for the service.

The deacon receives the blessing from the priest, goes out through the Royal Doors onto the ambo and says aloud: “Bless, master,” which means the following: bless, master, that we may begin the Liturgy and that the believing people gathered in the church may take part in the glorification and service of God.

The priest makes the sign of the cross on the holy table with the holy Gospel and says the exclamation of the Liturgy: “Blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…”. With this exclamation the priest glorifies the Holy Trinity at the very beginning of the Liturgy. After this the deacon says the great litany, in which the petitions and supplications of Christians are listed in order, and those persons for whom the believing people pray. The priest at this time prays secretly in the sanctuary and entreats God to send down mercy upon the holy church and upon the faithful gathered in it. At the end of the great litany the priest says the exclamation: “For unto Thee are due all glory, honour and worship…”.

After this the psalms are sung: the 102nd, “Bless the Lord, O my soul…”, and the 145th, “Praise the Lord, O my soul…”. These psalms are separated from one another by the small litany. By their content these psalms are called the typical psalms, for in them the mercy of God and the pity shown to mankind are depicted with the greatest artistic beauty. These hymns are also called antiphons. On the great feasts of the Lord and of the Mother of God these psalms are not sung, but instead special verses are performed whose content corresponds to the feast.

At the end of the second antiphon “Only-begotten Son and Word of God…” is sung, in which is given the Orthodox teaching about the second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ. This is followed by the small litany. Then the Church directs the attention of the faithful to the nine Beatitudes of the Gospel — to the “In Thy Kingdom” (Matthew 5:3–12) — where the image of a true believer is given: what a follower of Christ should be like and what joy awaits him after earthly endurance. At “In Thy Kingdom” the Royal Doors are opened; the priest takes the holy Gospel from the holy table, hands it to the deacon and goes out of the sanctuary with him through the north door. This going out of the clergy with the holy Gospel is called the “Little Entrance,” which signifies Jesus Christ's turning to the people after His life in the wilderness and His baptism, and His preaching of the Gospel.

In today's church service this entrance has only a symbolic meaning, but formerly it was a necessary action. In the most ancient period of Christianity the holy Gospel was kept not in the sanctuary, on the holy table, as is done today, but in a room situated near the sanctuary, which was called the “diaconicon” or the “treasury.” When the time came for reading the Gospel, it was solemnly carried to the holy table. In ancient times the proskomedia too was performed not on a table of preparation set up in the sanctuary but at a distance, in another building. So the clergy hardly entered the sanctuary at all before the Little Entrance. That is why at a hierarchical Liturgy, until the Little Entrance, the hierarch is vested and hears the Hours and the greater part of the Liturgy of the Catechumens not in the sanctuary but in the middle of the church, on the cathedra, and enters the sanctuary only after the Little Entrance.

The priest before the Royal Doors reads a prayer secretly, in which he entreats God to bless and sanctify their entrance and to send angels for worthy service. After the priest's blessing of the Royal Doors, the deacon lifts up the holy Gospel, makes the sign of the cross with it and says aloud: “Wisdom! Let us attend.”

The candle which goes before the Gospel at the Little Entrance signifies John the Forerunner and Baptist and the light of the New Testament. The priest's going out through the north door and coming to the Royal Doors signifies Jesus Christ's earthly journey — His life from His baptism to His crucifixion. The making of the sign of the cross with the holy Gospel in the Royal Doors signifies His crucifixion and earthly death. After the entrance the Gospel is laid on the holy table, which signifies the Saviour's intercession for the faithful before the heavenly Father. The priest venerates the icons of the Saviour and of the Mother of God, which signifies the reconciliation of man with God.

After the entrance of the Gospel, which the faithful perceive as the entrance of Christ Himself, the choir sings: “O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. O Son of God, who art wondrous in Thy saints, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia.” To this are joined the troparia and kontakia of the day, for the remembrance and glorification of the saints whose commemoration the holy Church keeps on the day the Liturgy is celebrated. The singing of the troparia and kontakia signifies also that the saints will inherit the Kingdom.

The priest, having entered the sanctuary, reads a secret prayer in which he asks God to accept the thrice-holy hymn offered by sinners and to forgive the faithful every sin. He ends the prayer with the exclamation: “For holy art Thou, O our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.” The deacon stands before the icon of the Saviour and says: “O Lord, save the pious and hear us.” These words are the prayer read above by the priest in a shortened form, and so, if the priest celebrates the Liturgy alone, this verse is omitted. The deacon points to the believing people with his orarion and says aloud: “And unto ages of ages.” These words are the end of the exclamation said by the priest. After this “Holy God” is sung, as a sign that the Lord hears our prayer and supplication as He hears that of the angels.

On the Nativity of Christ, Theophany, Pascha and Pentecost, and also on Lazarus Saturday and Holy Saturday, instead of “Holy God” is sung: “As many as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia.” The content of this hymn is this: let all who have been baptised into Christ turn to Christ. In ancient times the catechumens were baptised chiefly on the great feasts mentioned above, which is why this hymn was performed. On the feast of the Veneration of the Cross, instead of “Holy God” “Before Thy Cross” is sung.

After the singing of “Holy God” the Apostle and the Gospel are read. To prepare the worshippers to listen, the deacon calls the people: “Let us attend” (be attentive). The Apostle is preceded by the prokeimenon of the day with its verses, in which the content of the Apostle to be read and of the feast is briefly given. At this time the priest stands at the high place, which represents the most high place of the King of glory and the Mount of Olives. The reading of the Apostle signifies the preaching of the apostles in the world. During its reading the priest performs the censing, which signifies the grace of the Holy Spirit with which the apostles were filled as they preached Christianity in the world, and which brought them close to the people. The priest, who has rights equal to the apostles, after the censing listens to the Apostle seated, but listens to the Gospel standing, with bowed head. After the Apostle “Alleluia” is sung, which means: the Lord is coming, glorify Him. The reading of the holy Gospel, in which the earthly life and work of Jesus Christ, His miracles and His teaching are fully presented, is accompanied at the beginning and at the end by the festal glorification: “Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.” The reading of the Apostle and the Gospel is an important section of the divine Liturgy, for it is precisely here that the Lord Himself directly preaches to the people and teaches them.

After the Gospel the augmented litany is read, during which the antimension is unfolded, which symbolically signifies the preparation of Christ's tomb by Joseph of Arimathea.

After the augmented litany the litany for the departed is said, in which the faithful entreat the Lord for the souls of the departed and for the forgiveness of their sins. This is followed by the litany for the catechumens, by which we entreat God to have mercy on them, to set them on the true path, and that they may become worthy of baptism. At the deacon's call, “All catechumens, depart,” the catechumens leave the church. With this the Liturgy of the Catechumens ends. 3. The Liturgy of the Faithful

The third part of the divine Liturgy, at which the holy mystery of Communion — the Eucharist — is celebrated, is called the Liturgy of the Faithful, because only baptised believers have the right to be present at it. The Liturgy of the Faithful may conventionally be divided into several parts:

1. The transfer of the holy Gifts from the table of preparation to the holy table; 2. The preparation of the faithful for the consecration of the Gifts; 3. The celebration of the holy mystery of Communion; 4. The preparation of the faithful for Communion; 5. Communion; 6. The prayers of thanksgiving after Communion; 7. The dismissal.

The Liturgy of the Faithful begins with a shortened great litany, which ends with the exclamation: “That, being ever guarded by Thy might…”. After this is sung: “Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim, and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-giving Trinity, now lay aside all earthly cares. That we may receive the King of all, escorted invisibly by the angelic hosts. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.” The Royal Doors are opened, for now the Gifts are to be carried from the table of preparation to the holy table through the Royal Doors. This action is called the “Great Entrance.”

During the singing of the “Cherubic Hymn” we, the faithful, are likened to the cherubim, who serve the Lord. It is true that in churches this hymn is divided into two parts by the Great Entrance, but by its content and structure it is one whole hymn.

With the singing of the “Cherubic Hymn” the holy Church calls the faithful to roughly the following: “We who, at the carrying of the holy offering, have mystically become like the cherubim, and sing with them the thrice-holy hymn to the Holy Trinity — let us lay aside every earthly care, be renewed and be cleansed, that we may bear the King of glory, whom the multitude of the angels now truly serve.”

During the singing of the first part of the “Cherubic Hymn,” the priest reads a secret prayer in which he asks God for grace to celebrate the holy mystery worthily. The deacon performs the censing. After the censing the priest and the deacon, with uplifted hands, say the prayer of the “Cherubic Hymn” three times and go over to the table of preparation. The deacon, with the large veil on his left shoulder, reverently carries out the diskos, and the priest the chalice. The going out takes place through the north door. They stop before the Royal Doors, facing the people, and begin the commemoration of the people, of the patriarch, of the hierarchs, of the departed and of the living. The going out of the priest and deacon with the chalice and diskos symbolically signifies the Saviour's going to Golgotha, and the commemorations made by the clergy, that Jesus Christ prayed for the people, for the salvation of sinners, even in the time of His terrible sufferings.

After the commemoration the clergy enter the sanctuary through the Royal Doors and set the chalice and diskos on the holy table. The singers sing the second part of the “Cherubic Hymn”: “That we may receive the King of all…”.

The antimension on which the chalice and diskos are placed signifies the tomb of the Saviour. The large veil with which the chalice and diskos are covered represents the great stone with which Christ's tomb was sealed; the asterisk, which remains on the diskos for a time, signifies the seal — the stone rolled by righteous Joseph to close Christ's tomb, which was then sealed by the Jews; the censing of the gifts set forth at this time signifies the anointing of the Saviour's body with spices. The closing of the Royal Doors and of the curtain signifies Jesus Christ's descent into hell to deliver the souls of the faithful, and also the guards who were set by the Jews to watch the Saviour's tomb.

After the holy offering has been transferred to the holy table, the preparation for the consecration of the Gifts begins. For this purpose the litany of supplication is read here, in which to the usual petitions and supplications is added a petition concerning the gifts set forth, that the Lord may send down upon them the Holy Spirit and sanctify them.

The litany ends with the exclamation: “Through the compassions of Thine only-begotten Son…”. With this exclamation the Church expresses the thought that we shall receive the grace of the Holy Spirit needed for the consecration of the offering because of the Lord's mercy.

After this the priest blesses the believing people: “Peace be unto all”; the deacon calls the faithful to be reconciled with one another and to love one another, for peace and love are necessary for receiving the Holy Spirit: “Let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess.” This is a call to one love, to which the singers answer: “Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity one in essence and undivided.” This hymn is a continuation of the call uttered by the deacon: after the words “…that with one mind we may confess” the question naturally arises: whom are we to confess with one mind and with love? The answer to this question is: the Holy Trinity, one in essence and undivided. In the early Christian churches the faithful kissed one another to confirm this love: men men, and women women. In the present-day church this custom has been kept only in the sanctuary, among the clergy, who first kiss the diskos, the veil and the holy table, and then one another, with the words: “Christ is in our midst,” to which they answer: “He is and ever shall be.”

Then the deacon says: “The doors, the doors! In wisdom let us attend.” In ancient times with these words the deacon addressed the doorkeeper standing at the doors of the church, that he should keep careful watch over the doors, so that no catechumen, or anyone who did not have the right to be present at the Liturgy, might enter the church. The words “in wisdom let us attend” were meant for the faithful and signified the following: let us be attentive at the offering of the bloodless sacrifice to God. And the faithful, before the open Royal Doors, as before the Lord Himself, read the symbol of faith, the “Creed,” by which they confirm their confession, and also that no heretic or pagan stands among them. Today the words “The doors, the doors” remind the faithful to open the doors of their heart and mind and to drive out of them all alien thoughts, so as to turn their whole attention to the greatest of mysteries.

During the singing of the “Creed” the priest takes the large veil and waves it above the gifts set forth, which signifies the outpouring of the power and grace of the Holy Spirit upon them. The opening of the Royal Doors and of the curtain at the exclamation “The doors, the doors…” signifies the earthquake and the rending in two of the veil of the Temple at the time of Jesus Christ's death on the cross.

After this the chief part of the Liturgy begins, the consecration of the holy offering. The deacon once more calls the faithful to prepare with fear and reverence for the celebration of the holy mystery: “Let us stand aright; let us stand with fear; let us attend, that we may offer the holy oblation in peace.” The faithful answer: “A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise,” which means: we offer to Thee that bloodless sacrifice which is the mercy and grace of God, given to men by God as a sign of the reconciliation of God and man.

After this the priest blesses the faithful in the name of the Holy Trinity: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” And the believing people wish the same to the priest and answer: “And with thy spirit.” The priest continues: “Let us lift up our hearts,” that is, let us lift up our hearts to the Lord. To this the faithful answer: “We lift them up unto the Lord,” that is, we have lifted ourselves up to the Lord and have prepared ourselves for the celebration of the great mystery.

Having prepared himself and the faithful for the holy mystery, the priest passes on to the celebration of the mystery.

Our Lord Jesus Christ at the Mystical Supper did the following: 1. He glorified God; 2. He blessed and sanctified the bread and wine; 3. After Communion He ended the Supper with a prayer to God the Father: “Holy Father, keep them in thy name” (John 17:11). After the Lord's likeness, with us too the consecration of the Gifts consists of three parts: 1. the prayers of thanksgiving before the consecration of the holy offering; 2. the consecration of the offering itself; 3. the calling upon the members of the heavenly Church and the prayer for the members of the earthly Church, living and departed. Like Jesus Christ, who gave thanks to God the Father before holy Communion at the Mystical Supper, the priest invites the faithful to offer thanks to God with the following exclamation: “Let us give thanks unto the Lord.” The faithful at this time bow their heads as a sign of thanksgiving to God, and the choir sings: “It is meet and right to worship the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity one in essence and undivided.” At this time the church bells are rung as a sign that the chief part of the Liturgy has begun — the consecration of the holy Gifts — for those who for some reason could not come to church, that they may offer glory to God in these most important minutes. The priest at this time reads a secret prayer in which he praises the boundlessness of the world created by God, thanks God for the creation and redemption of man, for His mercy, and for making us worthy to have the bloodless sacrifice accepted from us, which thousands and ten thousands of angels serve. “Singing, crying, shouting and saying” — these words said by the priest are the words of the prophet Ezekiel (1:4–24) and of the Apostle John the Theologian (Apocalypse 4:6–8), who beforehand beheld the King of glory surrounded by angels crying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of Thy glory; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” While this is being sung the priest begins to read the second secret prayer, in which he remembers the Mystical Supper and the words which the Saviour said at the institution of the mystery of holy Communion; these he says in a loud voice: “Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins,” and “Drink ye all of it: this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.” After this the priest remembers the Saviour's command to celebrate Communion (“This do in remembrance of Me”), and glorifies the sufferings and torments of the Saviour by which He redeemed mankind, His crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and second coming. At this time the deacon reverently lifts up the chalice and diskos, and the priest says: “Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee, on behalf of all and for all,” that is, what Thou hast given we offer to Thee, O God, for everything — both in fulfilment of Thy command and for all the sufferings that granted salvation to men. The faithful answer this: “We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, and we pray unto Thee, O our God.” After this the prayers of the calling down of the Holy Spirit are performed. The priest with particular reverence asks the Lord to send down the Holy Spirit upon the faithful and upon the gifts set forth, for their sanctification and blessing. After this the priest, with uplifted hands, three times says the prayer of the third Hour: “O Lord, who didst send down Thy most Holy Spirit…”. The deacon, after the first reading of the troparion, says: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me,” and the second time he will say: “Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” The priest blesses the bread on the diskos with the words: “And make this bread…”. “Amen.” Then he blesses the wine: “And that which is in this cup…”, “Amen.” And finally he blesses both: “Changing them by Thy Holy Spirit.” “Amen, amen, amen.”

Here is the chief and most holy place of the Liturgy. At this moment the bread and wine are changed into the true Body and Blood of the Saviour. The clergy and all the faithful in the church, with the greatest reverence, make a prostration before the holy offering. After the consecration of the holy Gifts the priest commemorates those for whom this sacrifice has been offered, and first of all the saints, for by their example and their intercession the holy Church prepares the promised heavenly Kingdom. Among these saints we especially single out the Mother of God: “Especially for our most holy, most pure…”. The faithful answer this with the hymn to the Mother of God: “It is truly meet…”. The priest continues the secret prayers: 1. for the departed; 2. for health — of bishops, priests, deacons and all Orthodox Christians; he also commemorates the holy catholic and apostolic Church, the God-preserved nation, its government and its army; then he commemorates the primate of the Church, to which the faithful answer: “And each and all,” that is, remember, O Lord, all believing men and women. Then the priest prays secretly for the city (the village) and those who dwell in it, and ends the prayer with the exclamation: “And grant unto us that with one mouth and one heart we may glorify and praise Thine all-honourable and majestic name…”. After this the priest blesses the believing people: “And the mercies of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ shall be with you all.”

The prayers of the consecration of the holy Gifts end with the litany of supplication, to which is added a petition for the precious Gifts offered and sanctified. In this litany the priest asks that God may make the faithful worthy to receive the holy mystery. The litany ends with the exclamation: “And vouchsafe us, O Master, that with boldness and without condemnation we may dare to call upon Thee, the heavenly God, as Father, and to say.” After this exclamation, which the priest says with uplifted hands, the faithful sing the Lord's Prayer, the “Our Father.” At this time the deacon, who stands before the Royal Doors, girds himself with his orarion in the form of a cross: 1. so that it may not fall and may not hinder him from receiving Communion; 2. to express his reverence for the holy Gifts, like the seraphim, who cover their faces with their wings as they serve the Lord (Isaiah 6:2–3). Then the priest blesses the flock and, when at the deacon's call “Bow your heads…” they bow their heads, he secretly commends them to the Lord, that He may let them partake of the holy mystery without condemnation. Here the Royal Doors and the curtain are closed. The priest with great reverence and fear lifts up the holy Lamb on the diskos and says: “The holy things for the holy.” The meaning of these words is this: the holy offering is offered only by the holy. The faithful, convinced of their sinfulness and unworthiness, cry out in hope: “One is holy, one is the Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.” After this the clergy receive the Body and the Blood of Christ separately, like the apostles. During holy Communion, for a great spiritual uplifting among the faithful, special hymns are sung and sometimes sermons are preached.

After the Communion of the clergy the curtain and the Royal Doors are opened for the Communion of the laity, which symbolically reminds us of the earthquake that accompanied Christ's resurrection and the rolling away of the stone from the tomb. The priest's coming out with the chalice onto the ambo after Communion signifies that Jesus Christ after His resurrection from the dead appeared to the people, and the carrying of the chalice back into the sanctuary signifies the Saviour's ascension into heaven.

At the deacon's call, “With fear of God and faith draw near,” the laity, with fear and reverence, with their hands crossed on their breast, say the prayer before Communion (this prayer before Communion is read by the clergy as well), in which they confess their faith in Christ and ask of Him to receive the holy mystery worthily. The priest gives the lay people Communion of the Body and Blood of the Saviour. After Communion the communicants kiss the outside of the chalice and take wine with warm water, that is, the zapivka, so that not even the smallest particle of the holy Body may remain in the mouth.

After the Communion of the laity the priest, having gone into the sanctuary, puts the holy particles remaining on the diskos into the chalice, which signifies their cleansing, their washing from sins by the holy Blood. Then the priest blesses the people: “O God, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.” To this the singers answer: “We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit, we have found the true faith, worshipping the undivided Trinity, who hath saved us,” which means that by holy Communion we are cleansed of sins and see the light of God. The deacon carries the diskos to the table of preparation; the priest takes the chalice and says in a low voice: “Blessed is our God.” He blesses the people with the holy chalice and says aloud: “Always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages,” and carries it to the table of preparation. This is the last showing of the holy offering to the people. Its carrying to the table of preparation and the priest's exclamation remind us of Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven and of His promise: “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” The faithful bow their heads before the holy offering, as before Christ Himself, and thank God for receiving the holy mystery. Here the last litany of thanksgiving is read, which ends with the priest's exclamation: “For holy art Thou, O our God…”.

With the transfer of the holy offering from the holy table to the table of preparation and with the litany, the divine Liturgy ends. The priest addresses the faithful: “Let us depart in peace,” that is, let us go out of the church in peace. To this the faithful answer: “In the name of the Lord.” After this the priest comes out of the sanctuary and before the ambo reads a prayer in which he again asks the Saviour for the salvation of the people, and for the well-being of the Church, the clergy and all Christians.

When the prayer before the ambo is finished, the faithful once more offer prayer to God in these words: “Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and for evermore.” Then the thanksgiving 33rd psalm is read, “I will bless the Lord at all times…”. This is the psalm which in ancient times Christians sang at the Communion of the faithful. After this the priest blesses the people for the last time: “The blessing of the Lord be upon you, through His grace and love for mankind…”, and finally performs the dismissal, in which, through the intercession of the most holy Mother of God and of the other saints, he asks God for mercy and well-being for the faithful. The choir sings “Many Years.” The faithful venerate the cross and receive the holy prosphora.