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This clip contains excerpts of the Pre-Sanctified Lenten Liturgy that was celebrated at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Indianapolis on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. It begins with the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian.
Pre-Sanctified Liturgies are specifically celebrated during Great Lent using using a Host (bread tinctured with wine, that is the Body & Blood of Christ) that is consecrated (or sanctified, hence the name) during the Divine Liturgy of the previous Sunday. The "normal" celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and on weekdays throughout most of the year is a joyous celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Since weekdays of Great Lent are reserved as a somber period of prayer and reflection, this "normal" celebration of the Liturgy would be contrary to this quiet and reflective Lenten mood. However since the Lenten journey is arduous and difficult, the Church, in its wisdom, provides the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy as a way for the faithful to receive necessary sustenance through the Holy Eucharist. The Pre-Sanctified Liturgy is a vesperal Liturgy, in other words, one that is meant to be celebrated at sundown -- which is the start of the Orthodox Christian Liturgical day. Consequently, it has elements of the Orthodox Vespers service. It's hymns and readings have pronounced penitential character, reminding the worshiper that he has failed in his Christian witness (the meaning of "amartia", the Greek term for sin) and encouraging him to repent and place his trust in the Lord. This message becomes more urgent with each passing week of Lent. Another defining characteristic of the service is the Great Entrance, during which the entire congregation kneels. This is because, in contrast to the "normal" Liturgy where the gifts being carried are not yet consecrated, the gifts being carried in this procession are already the Body & Blood of Jesus Christ. As a reflection of the awesomeness of this fact, the clergy do not intone their usual proclamation at this point: "May the Lord our God remember us all in His Kingdom, both now and forever and to the ages of ages." Instead the clergy simply proceed, quietly saying "Lord Jesus, the Christ, through the prayers of our holy Fathers have mercy upon us and save us." Another unique attribute of this procession is the fact that the priest wears the aer (which is usually tied around his neck and hangs down his back during "normal" Liturgies) over his head as a sign of his humility before the awesome presence of the Body & Blood of Jesus Christ in very hands during this "Great" Entrance. Normal Orthodox practice dictates that when the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the morning, as is usually the case, that most people simply eat or drink nothing after midnight as preparation for receiving the Eucharist. (This rule is relaxed and adjusted according to the dictates of age and health.) Since the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy is celebrated in the evening, it is generally accepted that faithful who are observing abstention during Great Lent need simply to abstain from food and drink following noon of that day (again, health and age allowing.) The origins of the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy go all the way back to the earliest centuries of the Christian Church, to when the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the fourth century. This is confirmed by the frequent references within the Liturgy to catechumens -- those preparing for baptism into the faith -- who would have been present in large numbers during those early centuries when Christianity was fast becoming the predominant religion of the Roman Empire. This led to people leaving paganism in droves to join the new groundswell of popularity for the nascent Christian faith. The priest presiding at this Liturgy is Fr. Anastasios Gounaris. The chanter (unseen) is Constantine Maniakas.
Pre-Sanctified Liturgies are specifically celebrated during Great Lent using using a Host (bread tinctured with wine, that is the Body & Blood of Christ) that is consecrated (or sanctified, hence the name) during the Divine Liturgy of the previous Sunday. The "normal" celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and on weekdays throughout most of the year is a joyous celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Since weekdays of Great Lent are reserved as a somber period of prayer and reflection, this "normal" celebration of the Liturgy would be contrary to this quiet and reflective Lenten mood. However since the Lenten journey is arduous and difficult, the Church, in its wisdom, provides the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy as a way for the faithful to receive necessary sustenance through the Holy Eucharist. The Pre-Sanctified Liturgy is a vesperal Liturgy, in other words, one that is meant to be celebrated at sundown -- which is the start of the Orthodox Christian Liturgical day. Consequently, it has elements of the Orthodox Vespers service. It's hymns and readings have pronounced penitential character, reminding the worshiper that he has failed in his Christian witness (the meaning of "amartia", the Greek term for sin) and encouraging him to repent and place his trust in the Lord. This message becomes more urgent with each passing week of Lent. Another defining characteristic of the service is the Great Entrance, during which the entire congregation kneels. This is because, in contrast to the "normal" Liturgy where the gifts being carried are not yet consecrated, the gifts being carried in this procession are already the Body & Blood of Jesus Christ. As a reflection of the awesomeness of this fact, the clergy do not intone their usual proclamation at this point: "May the Lord our God remember us all in His Kingdom, both now and forever and to the ages of ages." Instead the clergy simply proceed, quietly saying "Lord Jesus, the Christ, through the prayers of our holy Fathers have mercy upon us and save us." Another unique attribute of this procession is the fact that the priest wears the aer (which is usually tied around his neck and hangs down his back during "normal" Liturgies) over his head as a sign of his humility before the awesome presence of the Body & Blood of Jesus Christ in very hands during this "Great" Entrance. Normal Orthodox practice dictates that when the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the morning, as is usually the case, that most people simply eat or drink nothing after midnight as preparation for receiving the Eucharist. (This rule is relaxed and adjusted according to the dictates of age and health.) Since the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy is celebrated in the evening, it is generally accepted that faithful who are observing abstention during Great Lent need simply to abstain from food and drink following noon of that day (again, health and age allowing.) The origins of the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy go all the way back to the earliest centuries of the Christian Church, to when the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the fourth century. This is confirmed by the frequent references within the Liturgy to catechumens -- those preparing for baptism into the faith -- who would have been present in large numbers during those early centuries when Christianity was fast becoming the predominant religion of the Roman Empire. This led to people leaving paganism in droves to join the new groundswell of popularity for the nascent Christian faith. The priest presiding at this Liturgy is Fr. Anastasios Gounaris. The chanter (unseen) is Constantine Maniakas.
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