Church Services
March 3, 2007 - This photoreport covers the celebration of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts as celebrated by Rev. David Garretson on the evening of February 28, 2007 - the mid-point of the second week of Great Lent this year. Interspersed among the sequential photographs of the service is text taken from the interpretation of the service by the Orthodox Church in America in its website. The OCA material is presented for factual accuracy and it appears on our site quotation marks in non-italicized black text. The photos from the service are embellished with teal-colored italicized text which appears in quotation marks. Such material originally appeared in the Service Book of Isabel Hapgood.
"(during the invocation of the Holy Spirit at the preceding Divine Liturgy) ...with his left hand the priest taketh one of the breads and toucheth it with the holy spoon, which hath been wetted with the Holy Blood, in the form of a cross, on the side whereon is depicted the cross, under the soft portion, and placeth it in the Tabernacle (photo below left). Then he doth the same with the other breads, and placeth them all in the Tabernacle."
"..... the eucharistic Divine Liturgy is not celebrated in the Orthodox Church on lenten weekdays. In order for the faithful to sustain their lenten effort by participation in Holy Communion, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served. The service is an ancient one in the Orthodox Church. We officially hear about it in the canons of the seventh century, which obviously indicates its development at a much earlier date":
On all days of the holy fast of Lent, except on the Sabbath, the Lord's Day, and the holy day of the Annunciation, the Liturgy of the Presanctified is to be served (Canon 52, Quinisext, 692).
"the priest unfoldeth the corporal (which lieth upon the Altar) (photos above) and setteth the holy paten thereon. Then he openeth the Tabernacle and placeth the Presanctified Lamb upon the paten (photos above right and below left), making a lowly reverence." "The priest, accompanied by the deacon holding a taper, or alone, censeth the Altar (photo below right)."
"The priest maketh three lowly reverences to the Holy Gifts, setteth the paten on his head, and beareth it to the Table of Oblation. Then at the Table of Oblation (photo above left), he poureth wine and water into the chalice (photo above right), censing the star-cover and the veil (photo below left), and covereth therewith the paten and the chalice (photo below right)."
"The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is an evening service. It is the solemn lenten Vespers with the administration of Holy Communion added to it. There is no consecration of the eucharistic gifts at the presanctified liturgy. Holy Communion is given from the eucharistic gifts sanctified on the previous Sunday at the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, unless, of course, the Feast of the Annunciation should intervene; hence its name of 'presanctified' ".
"The Holy Door is now opened and the Entrance is made with the censer (photo above left)." "The priest now goes to the High Place (photo above right)." "And the priest taketh the candlestick with its taper (photo below left), and the censer, in his hands, and standing before the Holy Altar (photo below right), and making therewith the sign of the Cross, he exclaimeth: Wisdom, O believers! The light of Christ illumineth all men."
"The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served on Wednesday and Friday evenings, although some churches may celebrate it only on one of these days. It comes in the evening after a day of spiritual preparation and total abstinence. The faithful who are unable to make the effort of total fasting because of weakness or work, however, normally eat a light lenten meal in the early morning."
"During the psalms of Vespers, the presanctified gifts are prepared for communion. They are transferred from the Altar table where they have been reserved since the Divine Liturgy, and are placed on the Table of Oblation. After the evening hymn, the Old Testament scriptures of Genesis and Proverbs are read, between which the celebrant blesses the kneeling congregation with a lighted candle and the words: "The Light of Christ illumines all," indicating that all wisdom is given by Christ in the Church through the Scriptures and Sacraments. This blessing was originally directed primarily to the catechumens - those preparing to be baptized on Easter - who attended the service only to the time of the communion of the faithful."
"And having made three lowly reverences, he goes to the Chapel of Oblation, and the priest bringeth the Holy Gifts, as usual, after he hath made three lowly reverences before the Table of Oblation, saying: O God cleanse Thou me a sinner. While the Divine Mysteries are being borne in solemn silence (photo above) from the Chapel of Oblation to the Altar, all the people and the singers, kneeling humbly, render divine reverence to Christ our God, who is in the Holy Mysteries; for they are presanctified. After the Holy Gifts have been brought to the Altar (photo below left), all stand, and the singers finish the Hymn, as indicated: Let us with faith and love draw near."
"After the readings, the evening Psalm 141 is solemnly sung once again with the offering of incense. Then, after the litanies of intercession and those at which the catechumens were dismissed in former days, the presanctified eucharistic gifts are brought to the Altar in a solemn, silent procession. The song of the entrance calls the faithful to communion":
"After the litany and prayers, the Our Father is sung and the faithful receive Holy Communion to the chanting of the verse from Psalm 34: 'O taste and see how good is the Lord. Alleluia.' The post-communion hymns are sung and the faithful depart with a prayer to God who 'has brought us to these all-holy days for the cleansing of carnal passions', that he will bless us 'to fight the good fight, to accomplish the course of the fast, and to attain unto and to adore the holy resurrection' of Christ."
"I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Photo above) - Taste ye the heavenly Bread and the Cup of Life, and see how good the Lord is. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia."
"The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is traditionally considered to be the work of the sixth-century pope, Saint Gregory of Rome. The present service, however, is obviously the inspired liturgical creation of Christian Byzantium."
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