Entrance (liturgical)

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Orthodox subdeacon and priest making the Great Entrance during the Divine Liturgy.

In

angels
are believed to enter with the clergy into the sanctuary, as evidenced by the prayers which accompany the various entrances.

Divine Liturgy

During the course of the

Basil the Great or John Chrysostom
, the authors of the most commonly used forms of the Divine Liturgy.

Little Entrance

The Little Entrance occurs during the portion of the service known as the

Holy Doors
, while the priest prays silently the Prayer of the Entrance:

O Master, Lord our God, Who hast appointed in heaven ranks and hosts of Angels and Archangels for the ministry of Thy glory: Cause that with our entrance may enter also the holy Angels with us serving Thee, and with us glorifying Thy goodness. For unto Thee are due all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.[1]

Protection of the Theotokos, Düsseldorf, Germany
).

The deacon presents the Gospel Book for the priest to kiss (if the bishop is present, it is presented to him instead) The deacon then points to the Holy Doors with his

Great Feast of the Lord, he first says a special entrance verse, usually taken from the Psalms) The choir then sings the Entrance Hymn: "Come let us worship and fall down before Christ! O Son of God, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!" and the Troparia and Kontakia
of the day. Meanwhile, the deacon and priest go in through the Holy Doors, the deacon replaces the Gospel Book on the Holy Table, and both he and the priest kiss the Holy Table. The priest silently says the Prayer of the Trisagion.

This entrance is quite elaborate when the

consecrated
, the rite takes place at the Little Entrance. This is also the point in the Liturgy when the bishop will bestow ecclesiastical awards and honours.

After the troparia and kontakia, the choir begins the

Feasts of the Cross, the Trisagion is replaced by the hymn, "Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify!" During the Trisagion, or its alternate hymn, the priest and deacon go to the High Place (seats for the bishop and priests to the east of the Holy Table) to prepare for the reading of the Epistle and Gospel
.

The Little Entrance symbolizes the

rubrics
to make the entrance with his hands at his side.

Great Entrance

Orthodox priest and deacons praying the Cherubic Hymn at the beginning of the Great Entrance.

The Great Entrance occurs at a later point during the Divine Liturgy, near the beginning of the

Liturgy of the Faithful, when the Gifts (bread and wine) to be offered are carried from the Chapel of Prothesis (a table on the north side of the sanctuary sometimes occupying its own apse
), to be placed on the Holy Table.

This entrance is made during the chanting of the

Cherubic Hymn The Cherubikon that accompanies the Great Entrance was apparently added by the Emperor Justin II (565 - 578)[3] However, the Divine Liturgies celebrated on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday
have their own unique Cherubic Hymns.

When the Choir begins the Cherubic Hymn, the deacon begins a

ceremonial fans
.

diskos
is kneeling in front of the bishop.

As soon as the choir finishes the first half of the Cherubic Hymn the procession goes out the North Door, into the nave and halts in front of the

Holy Doors
. During the procession, the deacon and priest make a series of intercessions formulated according to local custom. During the last intercession, the priest blesses the faithful with the chalice. The choir sings, "Amen." and chants the second half of the Cherubic Hymn, during which the clergy enter the sanctuary through the Holy Doors and place the gifts on the Holy Table. The priest removes the smaller veils from the diskos and chalice and censes the gifts, saying special prayers together with the deacon

The Great Entrance symbolizes the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Vespers

Entrance
with the censer at Great Vespers.

There is also an Entrance made during

feast days). This follows exactly the same format as the Little Entrance at Liturgy, except that the censer
is carried instead of the Gospel Book, and the silent prayer said by the priest is different:

In the evening, and in the morning, and at noonday we praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks unto Thee, and we pray unto Thee, O Lord of all: Direct Thou our prayer before Thee as incense, and incline not our hearts unto words or thoughts of wickedness: but deliver us from all who seek after our souls. For unto Thee, Lord, O Lord, lift we up our eyes, and in Thee have we trusted. Put us not to shame, O our God. For unto Thee are due all glory, honour and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.[4]

If there will be a reading from the Gospel during Vespers that day, as occurs during

Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
, the deacon will carry the Gospel Book instead of the censer.

This entrance occurs during the singing of the

All-Night Vigil
).

Presanctified Liturgy

The

Body and Blood of Christ
.

References

  1. ^ Hapgood, Isabel F. (tr.) (1922), Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church, Englewood, NJ: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, p. 83
  2. St. John Damascene
    , Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, III, 10
  3. ^ F. E. Brightman, Liturgies Eastern and Western (Oxford University Press, 1965), p. 532.
  4. ^ Hapgood, op. cit., p. 6.