A Study Text for

THE ORDER OF THE PROTHESIS OF THE
THE DIVINE AND HOLY LITURGY
OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

The priest who is about to celebrate the divine mysteries must be reconciled with all and have nothing against any one. As much as possible, he must have kept his heart free from all evil thoughts; he must have fasted according to ecclesiastical law.

When the time is come, the priest bows in the usual manner before the throne and stands on the solea. He makes three metanies towards the East before the holy doors.


PRAYERS BEFORE THE HOLY DOORS

Deacon: Give the blessing, Father.

Priest: Blessed is our God at all times, now and always and forever and ever.

Deacon: Amen.

Priest: Heavenly King, Consoler, the Spirit of Truth, present in all places and filling all things, the Treasury of blessings and the Giver of life, come and dwell in us, cleanse us of all stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

Deacon: Holy God! Holy Mighty One! Holy Immortal One! Have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

All Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, look upon us and heal our infirmities for your name's sake

Lord, have mercy (three times).

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Priest: For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

Deacon: Amen.

Then they say:

Have mercy on us, Lord. Have mercy on us. At a loss for any defense, we sinners offer this prayer to You, the Master: have mercy on us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Lord, have mercy on us, for we have put our trust in You: Rise not in anger against us, remember not our transgressions, but in the depth of your mercy look upon us even now and save us from our enemies: for You are our God and we are your people, we are all the work of your hands and we constantly call upon your name.

Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

They bow profoundly.

Blessed Mother of God, open the portal of your deep mercy to us who put our trust in you, so that we may not be brought to confusion, but through you may be delivered from adversity, for you are the salvation of the Christian fold.

Then they go before the icon of Christ. With the deacon at the priest's right and bowing in worship, they say:

Before your most pure image we bow in worship, O Good One, begging forgiveness of our stumblings, Christ God: because You chose of your own free will to ascend upon the cross in the flesh in order to deliver from the enemy's yoke those You had created. For this reason we cry out to You in thanksgiving: "You, our Savior, have filled all things with joy when You came to save the world."

And they kiss the icon of Christ.

Then they go before the icon of the Mother of God. With the deacon at the priest's left and bowing in worship, they say the troparion:

Mother of God, since you became a fountain of mercy, count us worthy of your compassion; look upon a people that has sinned, show forth your power as you always do. Because we have put our trust in you, we hail you as once did Gabriel, the captain of the angels.

And they kiss the icon of the Mother of God, then bow their heads.

Looking towards the altar, they bow their heads and say:

Lord, stretch forth your hand from your dwelling place on high, and strengthen me for your ministry now forthcoming, so that I may stand without condemnation before your awesome judgment seat and complete the unbloody sacrifice. For yours is the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Both priest and deacon make three reverences before the holy doors, then bow to the two choirs, and to each other saying:

Forgive me, Father.

And responding:

Forgive me, fellow minister.


And they go into the sanctuary, the priest through the north door and the deacon through the south door, saying as they go:

I shall enter into your dwelling place; before your holy temple I shall bow in fear of You.

O Lord, be my guide in your justice because of those who oppress me: make my way level before your sight.

Indeed, in their mouth there is no truth; in their heart, there is nothing but decay.

Their throat is but a gaping tomb, while their tongue is honeyed.

Be You their Judge, O God: may they founder in their evil plots.

Cast them out, for their crimes are countless, and they have risen against You, Lord.

But as for those who put their trust in You, they shall rejoice and feast forevermore:

You will dwell among them, and all who love your name shall rejoice,

For You, Lord, do bless the just and do cover him as with a shield of grace.

Once in the sanctuary they make three metanies before the holy table and the holy Gospel book saying:

O God, be propitious to me a sinner and have mercy on me (three times).


VESTING OF THE DEACON

The deacon holding his liturgical vestments on the palm of his right hand comes to the priest and bowing his head says:

Deacon: Bless the sticharion and the orarion, Father.

Priest: Blessed is our God, at all times, now and always and forever and ever.

Deacon: Amen.

The deacon kisses the right hand of the priest. Then he withdraws to another part of the sanctuary and puts on his vestments saying the proper prayers.

Deacon: My soul shall rejoice in the Lord, for He has clothed me with a robe of salvation and covered me with a tunic of happiness; He has crowned me as a bridegroom and as a bride, adorned me with jewels.

And he kisses the orarion and puts it on his left shoulder saying nothing.

Then he slips the epimanikia over his hands. For the right hand he says:

Deacon: Your right hand, Lord, is made glorious in might; your right hand, Lord, has crushed the enemies; and in the fullness of your glory, You have routed the adversary.

And for the left:

Deacon: Your hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding and I shall learn your commandments.

Then going to the prothesis he arranges the holy objects each in its proper place.


VESTING OF THE PRIEST

The priest likewise vests. Taking the sticharion in his right hand, making three reverences towards the East, as above, he blesses it saying:

Priest: Blessed is our God + at all times, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Then he puts on the sticharion saying:

Priest: My soul shall rejoice in the Lord, for He has clothed me with a robe of salvation and covered me with a tunic of happiness; He has crowned me as a bridegroom and adorned me with jewels as a bride.

Then taking the epitrachelion, he blesses and kisses it and puts it on saying:

Priest: Blessed is God + who pours out grace upon his priests: as the chrism upon the head, which ran down unto the beard, the beard of Aaron, ran down even to the hem of his garment, at all times, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Then taking the zone, he blesses it and girds himself, saying:

Priest: Blessed is God + who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless and strengthens my feet like the hart's, at all times, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

He blesses and kisses the epimanikia, then puts them on, saying for the right hand:

Priest: Your right hand, + Lord, is made glorious in might; your right hand, Lord, has crushed the enemies; and in the fullness of your glory, You have routed the adversary.

And for the left:

Priest: Your hands + have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding and I shall learn your commandments.

Then, taking the epigonation if he has the proper ecclesiastical title, he blesses and kisses it and puts it on, saying:

Priest: Gird your sword + at your side, Mighty One, in your splendor and beauty. String your bow; go forth, reign for the sake of truth, meekness and righteousness. Your right hand shall lead You wonderfully, at all times, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Finally, taking the phelonion, he blesses and kisses it and puts it on, saying:

Priest: Your priests + Lord, shall clothe themselves with righteousness, and your saints shall rejoice in joy, at all times, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.


WASHING OF THE HANDS

After that, priest and deacon go to the basin and wash their hands, saying:

I shall wash my hands in innocence, Lord, and go around your altar;

I shall listen to the sound of your praise and declare all your wonderful works.

Lord, I love this house, your dwelling place and the tent where your glory abides.

Link not my souls with the lost ones, nor my life with men of blood: They carry shame within their hands and their right hand is filled with bribes.

As for me, I have walked in my innocence: redeem me and have mercy on me.

My foot is set upon the rightful road: in the assemblies, I will bless You, Lord.


THE PREPARATION OF THE OBLATIONS OR PROTHESIS

And thus they go to the altar of offering and make three metanies before it, saying:

O God, be propitious to me a sinner and have mercy on me (three times).

Priest: You have redeemed us from the curse of the law by your precious blood: by being nailed to the cross and wounded with the lance, You have become for men the fountain of immortality: glory to You, our Savior.

Deacon: Bless, Master.

Priest: Blessed is our God + at all times, now and always and for ever hand ever. Amen.

Then the priest takes in his left hand the prosphora, and in his right the holy lance and blessing the bread three times over the seal he says:

Priest: In remembrance of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ (three times).

The deacon, standing at the right hand of the priest and holding his orarion with the three fingers of his right hand, points to the bread and says at each cutting "Let us pray to the Lord."

The directions "right" and "left" are reckoned from the point of view of the amnos.


Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

Then he thrusts the holy lance into the right side of the seal and makes an incision saying:

Priest: As a sheep, He was led to the slaughter.


Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

And into the left side saying:

Priest: As a spotless lamb silent before its shearer, He opens not his mouth.


Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

Into the top of the seal saying:

Priest: In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away.


Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

And into the bottom saying:

Priest: And who shall declare his generation?


Deacon: Lift up, Master.

And the priest thrusting the holy lance obliquely into the right side of the bread, lifts out the amnos saying:

Priest: For his life was taken away from the earth.


And he puts it upside down on the diskos.


Deacon: Immolate, Master.

The priest immolates by cutting it crosswise and says:

Priest: The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world is immolated for the life and salvation of the world.


Deacon: Pierce, Master.

And he turns it over, with the side bearing the cross upwards, and pierces it on the right side below the letters I C and says:

Priest: One of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance, and at once there came forth blood and water; and he who saw it bore witness, and his witness is true.


The deacon pours wine into the poterion, together with a few drops of water, and says to the priest:

Deacon: Bless this holy union, Father.

And the priest blesses it and says:

Priest: Blessed + is the union of your holy things, at all times, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.


Then the priest takes a second prosphora and says:

Priest: In honor and memory of our most highly blessed and glorious Lady the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, through whose prayers do You, Lord, receive this sacrifice upon your altar in heaven.

He removes a triangular particle and places it at the right side of the Lamb near the center of it, and says:

Priest: At your right stood the Queen, clothed in an embroidered mantle of gold.

Note also that if a bishop is celebrating the Liturgy, the priest does not complete the rite of preparation, but after removing the particles of the Mother of God and those of the saints, he covers the poterion and the diskos with the aer saving nothing. The celebrating bishop says the remaining prayers, thus completing the rite of preparation before the procession of the Great Entrance.


Commemorations of the Saints

Then, taking a third prosphora he removes from it a first particle and says:

Priest: [1] In honor and memory of the great captains of the angelic armies, Michael and Gabriel, and of all the heavenly bodiless powers.

And he places it to the left of the lamb close to it and opposite the particle of the Mother of God, thus beginning the first column.

Priest: [2] Of the honorable and glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist. Of the holy glorious prophets Moses and Aaron, Elias and Eliseus, David son of Jesse; of the Three Holy Youths and the prophet Daniel, and of all the holy prophets.

And he places it just below the first particle.


Then he removes a third particle and says:

Priest: [3] Of the holy, glorious and illustrious apostles Peter and Paul and of all the holy apostles.

And he places it just below the second thus completing the first column.


Then he removes a fourth particle and says:

Priest: [4] Of our fathers among the saints the great pontiffs and universal doctors Basil the great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom; Athanasius and Cyril, Nicholas of Myra and of all holy pontiffs.

And he places it next to the first, thus beginning the second column.


Then he removes a fifth particle and says:

Priest: [5] Of the holy first martyr and archdeacon Stephen; of the holy great martyrs Demetrius, George and Theodore of Tyre, and of all holy martyrs.

And he places it below the first particle in the second column.


Then he removes a sixth particle and says:

Priest: [6] Of our saintly fathers the God-bearers Anthony, Euthymius, Sabbas, Onuphrius, Athanasius of Athos and of all the holy Fathers.

And he places it below the second particle in the second column, thus completing the second column.


Then he removes a seventh particle and says:

Priest: [7] Of the holy wonderworkers laboring without pay Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, Pantaleimon and Hermolaus, and of all the holy ones laboring without pay.

And he places it next to the fourth, thus beginning the third column.


Then he removes an eighth particle and says .

Priest: [8] Of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Ann, (the patron saint of the church, and the saint of the day) and of all the saints, through whose prayers visit us, O God.

And he places it below the first particle of the third column.

Priest: [9] Of our father among the saints John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (if his liturgy is being celebrated. If it is that of Basil the Great, the priest remembers him: Of our father among the saints Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia).

And he places it at the bottom of the third column, thus completing it.


Commemorations for the Living

Then taking a fourth prosphora and removing a particle from it, he says:

Priest: Remember, Master who love mankind, all Orthodox Bishops, our most reverend Bishop N., the reverend priests, the deacons in Christ and all the clergy, our brothers and fellow ministers, priests, deacons, and all our brethren whom in the depth of your compassion You have called to communion with You, all-good Master.

And he places it beneath the Lamb, thus beginning the first of the bottom rows.


Then he commemorates by name those of the living whom he will, first the bishop who ordained him, if still alive. For each name he removes a particle and says:

Remember, Lord, N., who ordained me. Remember, Lord, N.

And he places it at the left of the preceding particle of the top row and so on, until this row of commemorations is completed.


Commemorations of the Dead

Finally taking a fifth prosphora and removing a particle from it, he says:

In memory and for the remission of sins of the blessed founders of this holy church.

And he places it beneath the first particle of the top row.


Then he commemorates by name those of the dead whom he will, first the bishop who ordained him, if no longer living. For each name, he removes a particle and says:

[Remember, Lord, N., who ordained me.] Remember, Lord, N.

And he places it at the left of the preceding particle.


Then, removing another particle, he says:

Remember all our Orthodox Fathers and brethren who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection to eternal life and in communion with You, O Lord, who love mankind.

And he places it at the left of the preceding one.


Commemorations of the Deacon

The priest cuts a particle for the deacon, shows him, and the deacon likewise remembers whom he will of the living and the dead.

Deacon: Remember N.


Commemoration of the Celebrating Priest

Then the priest removes a final particle and says:

Remember also, Lord, my unworthiness and pardon my transgressions, deliberate and indeliberate.

And he places it at the left of the preceding one, thus completing the final row of commemorations.

And particles are cut for Communion for the faithful.


The Prayer of Incense

Deacon: Bless the incense, Master. Let us pray to the Lord.

The priest, blessing the censer recites the Prayer of Incensing:

Priest: We offer You incense, Christ our God, for an odor of spiritual fragrance: receive it on your altar in heaven, and send down on us in return the grace of your all-Holy Spirit.


Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

And having incensed the asteriskos, the priest places it over the holy bread and says:

Priest: And the star came and stood over the place where the child was.


Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. Adorn, Master.

And having incensed the veil for the diskos, the priest covers with it the holy bread and says:

Priest: The Lord is king, he has put on splendor; the Lord has put on might and has girded Himself,
For He has strengthened the universe so that it cannot be moved.


Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. Veil, Master.

And having incensed the veil for the poterion, the priest covers the holy chalice and says:

Priest: Your power, O Christ, has covered the heavens and the earth is filled with your praise.


Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. Cover, Master.

Having incensed the aer, the priest places it over both and says:

Priest: Cover us over with the cover of your wings; drive away from us every alien and enemy; make life peaceful for us. Lord, have mercy on us and on your world, and save our souls, O Good One who love mankind.

Then the priest, taking the censer from the deacon, incenses the offering three times, saying:

Priest: Blessed are You, our God, who were pleased so to do. Glory to You.

Deacon: Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.


Blessing Prayer over the Holy Gifts

And they bow respectfully three times.

Deacon: For the offering of the precious gifts, let us pray to the Lord.

And the priest says the Prayer of Offering:

Priest: O God our God, who sent forth the heavenly bread, food for the whole world, our Lord and God Jesus Christ as a Savior, Redeemer and Benefactor to bless and hallow us: be pleased to bless this offering and to accept it on your altar in heaven. In your goodness and love for mankind, remember both those who offer it and those for whom it is offered; hold us uncondemned in the celebration of your divine mysteries, for hallowed and glorified is your most noble and magnificent name, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Then he makes the dismissal, saying:

Priest: Glory to You, Christ God, our hope, glory to You.

Deacon: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen. Lord, have mercy (three times). Give the blessing, Master.

And the apolysis:

Priest: Christ our true God (Sundays: who is risen from the dead), through the prayers of his all-pure Mother, of our Father among the saints John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (or Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia) and all the saints, have mercy on us for He is good and loves mankind.

Deacon: Amen.


The Great Incensation

After the dismissal the deacon incenses the prothesis, all four sides of the holy table and the bishop's throne, saying:

Deacon: Being God, You were present in the tomb by your body, and yet in Hades by your soul, in Paradise with the thief, and on the throne, O Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, filling all things but encompassed by none.

While saying psalm 50, he then moves outside the holy of holies, incensing the iconostasis, the holy icons around the nave of the church, cantor and all the people. He goes back into the sanctuary to incense the servers and priest.

O God, have mercy on me in the greatness of your love;
In the abundance of your tender mercies, wipe out my offense.

Wash me thoroughly from my malice and cleanse me from my sin,
For I am well aware of my malice and my sin is before me always.

It is You alone I have offended, I have done what is evil in your sight,
Wherefore You are just in your deeds and triumphant in your judgment.

Behold, I was born in iniquities and in sins my mother conceived me, But You are the Lover of Truth,
You have shown me the depths and secrets of your wisdom.

Wash me with hyssop and I shall be pure, cleanse me and I shall be whiter than snow;
Let me hear sounds of joy and feasting : the bones that were afflicted shall rejoice.

Turn your face away from my offenses and wipe off all my sins.
A spotless heart create in me, O God; renew a steadfast spirit in my breast.

Cast me not afar from your face, take not your blessed Spirit out of me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and let your guiding Spirit dwell in me.

I will teach your ways to the sinners and the wicked shall return to You.
Deliver me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God, and my tongue will joyfully sing your justice.

O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Had You desired a sacrifice, I would have offered it, but You will not be satisfied with whole-burnt offerings.

Sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; a crushed and humbled heart God will not spurn.
In your kindness, O Lord, be bountiful to Sion; may the walls of Jerusalem be restored.

Then will You delight in just oblation, in sacrifices and whole-burnt offerings.
Then shall they offer calves upon your altar.

The deacon returns to the holy table, puts the censer in its place, and standing at the priest's right, extends his hands in prayer while the priest says:

Priest: O heavenly King,

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