The Work of the People
The Divine Liturgy
The central act of Orthodox worship — what happens, why it takes the shape it does, and what the faithful are doing when they gather around the chalice.
What the Divine Liturgy Is
The Divine Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Orthodox Church — the service in which bread and wine are offered and received as the Body and Blood of Christ. The Greek word leitourgia means "the work of the people," and the Liturgy is exactly that: a common action offered by the whole assembly, clergy and faithful together, not something performed for spectators. Almost every word of it is sung.
Orthodox Christians understand the Liturgy as the earthly assembly joining a worship already taking place in heaven. Its texts and gestures have been handed down with remarkable continuity since the fourth century, and the same service is celebrated on any given Sunday in Greek, Arabic, Slavonic, Romanian, and English alike.
Historical Origins
The Liturgy grows directly out of the Last Supper and the apostolic practice of "the breaking of bread" described in Acts. Its earliest shape is visible in the second-century description by St. Justin Martyr, who records Christians gathering on Sunday to read the prophets and apostles, hear a homily, pray together, and offer bread and wine with thanksgiving — the same sequence Orthodox parishes follow today.
Over the fourth and fifth centuries this pattern was given fixed liturgical form in the great sees of the Christian East, above all Constantinople. The two Anaphoras that came to define Byzantine worship — those bearing the names of St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom — took shape in this period. The Liturgy was elaborated further in the centuries that followed with hymnody, entrances, and ceremonial, but its core has been continuous.
The Structure of the Service
The Liturgy falls into two great halves, preceded by a quiet preparation. The division is ancient: the first half was open to all, while the second was for the baptized faithful alone.
The Proskomide (Preparation)
Before the service begins
Out of sight of the congregation, at the table of oblation, the priest prepares the bread and wine. From a round loaf (prosphoron) he cuts the Lamb — the portion that will become the Body of Christ — and places particles commemorating the Theotokos, the ranks of saints, the living, and the departed around it on the paten. By the time the Liturgy begins, the whole Church, in heaven and on earth, is already gathered on that small plate.
The Liturgy of the Catechumens (Liturgy of the Word)
From the opening blessing to the dismissal of the catechumens
The first half of the service centers on Scripture and is open to all. It opens with the blessing "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," followed by the Great Litany, the antiphons, and the Little Entrance with the Gospel book. The Trisagion hymn ("Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us") is sung, then the Epistle and the Gospel are read and the homily is preached. In the ancient Church, catechumens were prayed for by name and dismissed at the end of this section, before the Mysteries began.
The Liturgy of the Faithful (Liturgy of the Eucharist)
From the Cherubic Hymn to the dismissal
The second half is the offering itself. The Cherubic Hymn accompanies the Great Entrance, in which the gifts are carried to the altar. The faithful confess the Nicene Creed together, and the Anaphora — the great eucharistic prayer — is offered, containing the words of institution and the Epiclesis, the invocation of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts. After the Lord's Prayer, the faithful receive Holy Communion from the chalice with a spoon, in both kinds. The service closes with a hymn of thanksgiving, the dismissal, and the distribution of antidoron — blessed bread given to everyone present.
The Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great
The Orthodox Church does not serve one single Liturgy but several, appointed to different days of the year. Three are in regular use.
The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Most Sundays and weekdays — the normal Liturgy of the Orthodox Church
Attributed to St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (c. 349–407), this is the Liturgy served on the great majority of days in the Orthodox year. It is shorter than the Liturgy of St. Basil, chiefly because its Anaphora prayers are more concise. Its structure is the one described above, and it is the form most visitors to an Orthodox parish will encounter.
The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
Ten times a year
Attributed to St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea (c. 330–379), this Liturgy is served on the five Sundays of Great Lent, on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday, on the eves of Nativity and Theophany, and on St. Basil's feast day (January 1). The outward shape is the same, but the priestly prayers — especially the Anaphora — are considerably longer and richer, tracing salvation history from creation through the Incarnation. Because these prayers take more time, the choir sings extended settings of the hymns.
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
Weekdays of Great Lent
Associated with St. Gregory the Dialogist, this is not a full Liturgy: no consecration takes place. Gifts consecrated on the previous Sunday are reserved and distributed at a solemn Vespers service, so that the faithful may commune during the strict fasting weekdays of Lent, when the joyful full Liturgy is not celebrated.
Theological Meaning
The Liturgy is understood as an entrance into the Kingdom of God. Its opening words are not "let us begin" but "Blessed is the Kingdom" — the assembly is announcing where it now stands. The icons, incense, candles, and singing are not decoration but the furnishing of that Kingdom, addressed to the whole person rather than the intellect alone.
At its heart is the Eucharist itself. Orthodox Christians confess that the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ, without attempting to define the manner philosophically. The change is asked for in the Epiclesis, the invocation of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts and upon the people — for the gifts are consecrated so that those who receive them may themselves be transformed.
The Liturgy is also profoundly corporate. There is no private reception: the faithful commune from one chalice, having first been called to be reconciled with one another. And it is not a re-sacrifice of Christ but a participation in the one offering He made once for all — the same Supper, the same Cross, the same empty tomb, entered again by the Church in every generation.
Common Questions
Q. What is the Divine Liturgy?
A. The Divine Liturgy is the central worship service of the Orthodox Church, in which the faithful gather to offer the Eucharist — bread and wine that become the Body and Blood of Christ. The Greek word leitourgia means "the work of the people": it is the common action of the whole assembly, not a performance watched by an audience.
Q. How long does the Divine Liturgy last?
A. A typical Sunday Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom lasts about 90 minutes. The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, served ten times a year, usually runs closer to two hours. Many parishes serve Matins (Orthros) immediately beforehand, which adds roughly an hour.
Q. Why do Orthodox stand during the Liturgy?
A. Standing is the ancient posture of prayer, expressing resurrection and readiness before God. Traditionally there were no pews at all. Most parishes today have seating, and sitting is appropriate during the readings and homily, or whenever needed — no one should feel unable to attend for physical reasons.
Q. Can non-Orthodox attend the Divine Liturgy?
A. Yes. Visitors are welcome at any Orthodox service, and the Liturgy of the Catechumens is historically the open portion. However, Holy Communion is reserved for baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared through prayer, fasting, and confession. Visitors are warmly invited to receive antidoron — the blessed bread distributed at the end — which is not the Eucharist.
Q. What is the difference between the Divine Liturgy and the Catholic Mass?
A. Both descend from the same ancient eucharistic worship and share a common structure of readings followed by the eucharistic offering. The Orthodox Liturgy is sung nearly in its entirety, uses leavened bread, gives Communion in both kinds from a spoon, confesses the Nicene Creed without the Filioque, and places explicit emphasis on the Epiclesis — the invocation of the Holy Spirit — as the moment of consecration.
Q. What should I do the first time I attend?
A. Arrive a little early, dress modestly, and stand near the back where you can follow what others do. You are not required to venerate icons, cross yourself, or come forward for anything. Follow along in a service book if one is available, stay for antidoron and coffee hour afterward, and introduce yourself to the priest — visitors are expected and welcomed.
Keep learning — day by day
See today's readings and commemoration in the Daily Chapel, or read the catechism for the fuller shape of the Orthodox faith.