The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, used by the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, and its missing elements

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The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the most celebrated Eucharistic service in the Byzantine liturgical rite, used mainly by the Orthodox Christians. It is attributed to St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople in the 5th century A.D. It is composed of two parts. The first part is the Liturgy of the Word and the second part is the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the Word focuses on the reading of biblical passages and the kerygma, while the Eucharist focuses on the actions of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Mystical Supper.

At the Mystical Supper (on Holy Thursday) Christ Himself instituted the Eucharist to perpetuate the remembrance of His salvific life and to establish a redemptive communion between Himself and all those who believe in Him. There are four important elements in the Eucharistic celebration: the offering of bread and wine; the prayer of anaphora (which includes the words spoken by Christ on the Mystical Supper and the invocation of the Holy Spirit for the consecration of the gifts); the breaking of the consecrated Holy Bread; and the distribution of the consecrated Holy Gifts to the faithful participants of the service.

A revised Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is also celebrated in Ukraine by members of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. This Church was organized originally in 1926 in the “Galicia” region of Ukraine, which was at that time under the government of Poland. The liturgical rites used by the Ukrainian Lutherans reflected their Byzantine tradition. They did not use a Lutheran revision of the Latin Mass in their services, but instead they used a Lutheran revision of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

At its height, before the Second World War, the UECAC had numbered over 10,000 members. But the UECAC was suppressed by the Communists in 1939, and after the war it ceased to exist at the institutional level on the territory of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession was reorganized on the territory of Ukraine in 1994, as the Ukrainian Lutheran Church.

At the revised Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, used by the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, there are several missing elements. The authors of the revised service made an effort to produce a text in agreement with the Lutheran doctrinal positions, eliminating most of the references to the Mother of God and the saints as well as the Invocation to the Holy Spirit. Finally, they eliminated the prayers referring to the priest’s role as the celebrant of the Eucharist (through whom the Holy Gifts are offered to the Holy People of God).

These changes of course alter essentially the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and its theological meaning.

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More specifically the revised text is the following:

Pastor: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Pastor: Blessed be the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen.

THE FIRST LITANY

Pastor: In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For the peace that is from above and for the salvation of our souls, for the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the churches of God, and for the unity of all people in the Holy Gospel, let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: That all people through faith in Jesus Christ become children of our heavenly Father, and lead wise, honest, and truthful lives, let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For our nation, our motherland, our city and country, and for those who with faith, reverence, and the fear of God are gathered for this service, let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: That our nation be given a spirit of knowledge, understanding, and eagerness to read the Holy Scriptures, let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For seasonable weather, for the abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for sound spiritual nourishment for our nation, let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For those who are abroad, for the sick and the suffering, for captives and their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For the Bishop of our church, for the President of our country, and for all who have spiritual and temporal authority over us, let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

(Additional petitions may be included.)

Pastor: That we may be delivered from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: Protect us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by your grace.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: Following the example of the Virgin Mary and of all the righteous, let us commend ourselves and all our life to Christ our God.

Congregation: To you, O Lord.

Pastor: For to you, our God, are due all glory, honor, and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor: O Lord, our God, your power is incomparable and your glory is incomprehensible. Your mercy is immeasurable and your love for mankind is inexpressible. Look down on us and on our people with pity, O Master, and impart the riches of your mercy and your compassion to us and to those who pray with us.

Comments:

The First Litany includes all the petitions that we find in the original Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. However, the original petition: “Remembering our Most holy, pure, blessed and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever Virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and our life to Christ our God” has been essentially altered in the revised text: The Virgin Mary is not referred to as “the Mother of God” and the Saints are called “Righteous”. The Virgin Mary appears simply as an ethical example for the faithful without any special role in God’s plan for the salvation of humankind (as St. John Chrysostom believes).

Also, there are three additional petitions in the First Litany. Two of them: “for the unity of all people in the Holy Gospel” and “that our nation be given a spirit of knowledge, understanding, and eagerness to read the Holy Scriptures, let us pray to the Lord”, emphasize the primacy of the Holy Gospel as a basis for achieving Christian unity. However, in the original Liturgy, St. John Chrysostom understands the “unity of all” through the stability of the “holy churches of God”, pointing to the value of the ecclesial tradition (which interprets correctly the Holy Gospel). The third additional petition presents “faith in Jesus Christ” as a way for people “to become children of our heavenly Father”. This petition reflects the Lutheran doctrine of salvation by faith alone that cannot be found in the original Liturgy.

THE ANTIPHON

Congregation: Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Congregation: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Only-begotten Son and immortal Word of God, Who for our salvation did will to be incarnate of the Virgin Mary, Who without change did become man and was crucified, Who are one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit: O Christ our God, trampling down death by death, save us!

Pastor: For you are a good God and love mankind, and to you are due all glory, honor, and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen.

Comments:

The revised Liturgy has only one Antiphon and not three. The original hymn: “By the intercessions of the Mother of God (Theotokos), Savior save us” has been excluded. Also, the Virgin Mary is not called Theotokos by the congregation.

THE TRISAGION

Pastor: O holy God, who out of nothing has brought all things into being; who has created man after your own image and likeness, and has adorned him with your every gift; who gives to him who asks wisdom and understanding; who does not despise the sinner, but instead has appointed repentance unto salvation. O Master, visit us in your goodness, forgive us every transgression, sanctify our souls and bodies, and accept from our mouths the thrice-holy hymn; for you are holy, O our God, and to you we ascribe glory, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen.

Congregation: Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us. Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us. Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us.

Comments:

The first part of the original pastor’s prayer is missing in the revised Liturgy (“Holy God who dwells among your saints. You are praised by the Seraphim with the thrice holy hymn and glorified by the Cherubim and worshiped by all the heavenly powers”).

Again, it appears that the revisionists wish to avoid any references to the intercessions of the saints and of the heavenly powers. On the other hand, such references are frequent in the original Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

THE EPISTLE

(An Old Testament Lesson may be read before the reading of the Epistle.)

Pastor: Let us be attentive! Wisdom! … (The appointed Epistle is announced.)

Pastor: Let us be attentive!

Lector: Brethren! … (The appointed Epistle is read.)

Pastor: (to the Lector) Peace be to you.

THE HOLY GOSPEL

Congregation: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Pastor: Wisdom! Let us stand attentively! Let us listen to the Holy Gospel! … (The appointed Gospel is announced.)

Congregation: Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you!

Pastor: Let us be attentive! … (The appointed Gospel is read.)

Congregation: Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you!

Comments:

The Byzantine tradition does not allow readings from the Old Testament in the Liturgical service (only at the Vespers before the Liturgy).

THE CONFESSION OF SINS AND THE ABSOLUTION

(Instead of the following, an abbreviated form of the Confession of Sins and the Absolution may be used.)

Pastor: Beloved in Christ, the Lord! Because you wish to come to the Lord’s Supper and partake of the most holy body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, I call on you seriously to consider whether you will indeed be worthy participants in such a great and holy Mystery. Three things are necessary for a worthy reception of the Lord’s Supper, to which you should direct your attention: First, you are not to take lightly your sins, in which you were conceived and came into this world, and which you have committed in thought, word or deed, secretly or openly, but instead you are to recognize that you have justly deserved God’s wrath, and his temporal and eternal punishment. Such a recognition should move and awaken in you a sincere sorrow that you have previously led such an evil life, and that with your transgressions you have so often offended your Heavenly Father. Second, you should recognize this truth, that by your own deeds and merits you cannot blot out your sins and transgressions, and neither can you earn God’s forgiveness. The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, is the only sufficient ransom for our transgressions, and for the cleansing of our souls. Rest in this hope and faith, and with tears of sincere repentance call on God, your Heavenly Father, and implore him that for the sake of Christ, and his own great mercy, he will forgive you your sins and transgressions. Third, you must earnestly desire, by the help of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit, to change and amend your evil existence and life! Put aside any anger and hatred toward any of your neighbors that you may have had until now; forgive any insult ever done to you; and call upon God, who will forgive you your sins and transgressions, and bestow on you the gift of his Holy Spirit, so that you will be enabled worthily to receive the Mystery of the Lord’s Supper!

Pastor: Therefore, as a humble servant of Christ, and in the name of the Lord our God, I ask you, beloved in Christ: Do you believe that Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, is our only Savior, and that it is only for the sake of Christ that you are able to receive, and desire to receive, the forgiveness of all your sins and transgressions? If so, then declare it by saying: I do so believe!

Penitents: I do so believe!

Pastor: Are you truly sorry that you have offended the Lord your God, the highest Good and the greatest Love? If so, then declare it by saying: I am sorry!

Penitents: I am sorry!

Pastor: Do you reverently and firmly intend to amend your sinful life, and to forgive your neighbor any wrongs that have been committed against you? If so, then declare it by saying: I do so intend!

Penitents: I do so intend!

Pastor: On the basis of this your confession, that you are sincerely sorry for your sins, and in true faith seek comfort in the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, I — his least worthy servant — called and authorized to proclaim the Word of God, thereby declare to you the mercy of God and the forgiveness of all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Comments:

A public confession of sins, in the middle of the Liturgy, was an ancient Christian practice replaced by private confession in the Byzantine tradition. It is not part of the original Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. The revised Lutheran Liturgy has the pastor calling the faithful to repentance, making a general reference to the existence of sins that cannot be forgiven by people’s “own deeds and merits”. This is a reflection of the Lutheran doctrine of “salvation by grace only” that is not endorsed by St. John Chrysostom.

Also, the following phrases of the pastor’s prayer: “you have justly deserved God’s wrath” and “the blood of our Lord is the only sufficient ransom for our transgressions”, have a distinct Lutheran character. The theological notion that Christ’s death satisfied the “wrath of God” is not accepted by the Orthodox Christians.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

Pastor: Let us bow our heads in prayer.

Pastor: Merciful God, heavenly Father, we thank you with all our hearts that you have not turned away from us on account of our sins, but have sent your only begotten Son for our salvation, that we, with repentance and a living faith in him, may be accepted by you. You have not rejected us even now, when we with heavy consciences and broken hearts have sought from you forgiveness of sins, but through your only-begotten Son you have shown us your great favor and tender mercy. We thank you for your loving kindness, and we implore you: Work in each of us your divine strength, that we may resist all temptation and serve you alone! By the remembrance of Christ’s suffering and death remove from us all sinful desires, that in faith we may abide always in your Son, who in his love for us gave himself to be sacrificed on the cross. Hear us, we beseech you, most merciful Father, for the sake of your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Comments:

This prayer has replaced the original prayer of the faithful in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: “again, we bow before You and pray to You, O good and loving God. Hear our supplication: cleanse our souls and bodies from every defilement of flesh and spirit, and grant that we may stand before Your holy altar without blame or condemnation. Grant also, O God, progress in life, faith and spiritual discernment to the faithful who pray with us, so that they may always worship You with reverence and love, partake of Your Holy Mysteries without blame or condemnation, and become worthy of Your heavenly kingdom”.

THE SECOND LITANY AND THE CHERUBIC HYMN

Pastor: Let us all say with all our soul and all our mind, let us say:

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: O Lord almighty, the God of our fathers, we pray you, according to your great goodness, hearken and have mercy.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: Let us pray for our brethren, and for mercy, life, peace, health, enlightenment, God’s visitation, and the pardon and remission of our sins.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

(Additional petitions may be included.)

Pastor: Let us pray for those who are in need of spiritual regeneration, that the Lord may have mercy on them, teach them the Word of truth, reveal to them the Gospel of righteousness, and unite them to his Holy, Universal, and Apostolic church.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: Let us with one voice glorify the all-honorable and majestic name of God, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen.

Congregation: Let us who mystically represent the cherubim, and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity, now lay aside all earthly cares, that we may receive the King of all, who comes invisibly upborne by the angelic hosts. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Comments:

In the original Liturgy the priest reads more petitions, and also the following “prayer of oblation” (that is missing from the revised text): “Lord, God Almighty, You alone are holy. You accept a sacrifice of praise from those who call upon You with their whole heart. Receive also the prayers of us sinners and let it reach Your holy altar. Enable us to bring before You gifts and spiritual sacrifices for our sins and for the transgressions of the people. Make us worthy to find grace in Your presence so that our sacrifice may be pleasing to You and that your good and gracious Spirit may abide with us, with the gifts here presented, and with all Your people”.

THE CREED

Pastor: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

[Comment: In the original Liturgy this phrase follows the reading of the Creed].

Congregation: And with your spirit.

Pastor: Let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess:

Congregation: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! The Trinity, one in essence, and undivided!

Pastor: Let us stand attentively, and in wisdom let us proclaim our faith.

Congregation: I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And (I believe) in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. [God of God;] Light of Light; true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. And he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And (I believe) in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the Prophets. (I believe) In One Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Comments:

The filioque is kept in this Lutheran Creed. However it has been placed in brackets. The authors of the revised Liturgy have recognized it as an addition to the original Creed of Nicaea-Constantinople, confessing that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father.

THE CONSECRATION

Pastor: Let us stand with dignity! Let us stand with fear! Let us meditate on the great Mystery of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Congregation: May our worship be filled with repentance, love, and peace.

Pastor: Let us lift up our hearts.

Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.

Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord.

Congregation: It is good and right to worship the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Trinity, one in essence, and undivided.

Pastor: It is good and right to hymn you, to bless you, to praise you, to give thanks to you, and to worship you in every place of your dominion, for you are God ineffable, inconceivable, incomprehensible, ever-existing and eternally the same. You are worshiped by thousands of archangels and hosts of angels, the cherubim and the seraphim, who are singing the triumphant Hymn, shouting, proclaiming and saying:

Congregation: Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord of heavenly hosts! Heaven and earth are full of your glory! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Salvation in the highest!

Pastor: With these blessed powers, O Master who loves mankind, we also cry aloud and say: You are indeed holy; you are most holy, you and your only-begotten Son and your Holy Spirit! You are indeed holy; you are most holy and your glory is magnificent! You so loved your world that you gave your only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Amen.

Pastor: When he had come and had fulfilled all the dispensation for our salvation, on the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread and blessed it, and broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you [for the remission of sins]; Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same manner, after supper, he took the cup, and hallowed it and gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor: Remembering this salutary testament, and all those things which have been accomplished for us — the sacrifice on the cross, the tomb, the resurrection and ascension — we ask you, Lord, and pray you and supplicate you: Send down your Holy Spirit on all who will partake of your gifts, for the strengthening of their faith in your truth. O Lord, who did send down your most Holy Spirit on your apostles, do not take him from us, O good one, but by your Spirit renew us, who pray to you, and grant that with one mouth and one heart we may praise and glorify in song your most holy and majestic name, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen.

Comments:

The first prayer of the anaphora is not complete in the revised Liturgy. The following phrases mentioning the mystical nature of God’s salvific work and the synergistic character of the Eucharist are missing: “You [God] and Your only begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. You brought us into being out of nothing, and when we fell, You raised us up again. You did not cease doing everything until You led us to heaven and granted us Your Kingdom to come. For all these things we thank You and Your only begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit; for all things that we know and do not know, for blessings seen and unseen that have been bestowed upon us. We also thank you for this liturgy which You are pleased to accept from our hands”.

The Invocation of the Holy Spirit (the element of the Eucharist that makes it a sacrament and not a simple remembrance of the Mystical Supper ) is also missing. The following prayer is from the original Liturgy: “Once again we offer to You this spiritual worship without the shedding of blood, and we ask, pray and entreat You: send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here presented. And make this bread the precious Body of Your Christ [Amen]. And that which is in this cup the precious Blood of Your Christ [Amen]. Changing them by Your Holy Spirit [Amen, Amen, Amen]. So that they may be to those who partake of them for vigilance of soul, forgiveness of sins, communion of Your Holy Spirit, fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven, confidence before You, and not in judgment or condemnation. Again, we offer this spiritual worship for those who repose in the faith, forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, ascetics, and for every righteous spirit made perfect in faith”.

There is of course a reference, in the revised text, to the Holy Spirit who renews the believers strengthening their faith, but this reference cannot be called a sacramental Invocation of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, the references to the “most holy, pure, blessed and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever virgin Mary” who is “more honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim” and “who gave birth to God the Word without corruption” have been deleted.

THE THIRD LITANY AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

Pastor: Once again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: That the whole day may be perfect, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.

Congregation: Grant it, O Lord.

Pastor: Remission of our sins, and all things that are good for our souls, let us ask of the Lord.

Congregation: Grant it, O Lord.

(Additional petitions may be included.)

Pastor: That we may complete the remaining time of our life in repentance, and a peaceful and painless ending to our life, let us ask of the Lord.

Congregation: Grant it, O Lord.

Pastor: In the unity of the faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life, to Christ our God.

Congregation: To you, O Lord.

Pastor: And make us worthy, O Master, that with boldness we may dare to call on you, O heavenly God, as Father, and to say:

Congregation: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your 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.

Pastor: For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever and ever.

Congregation: Amen.

Comments:

The prayers, between the third Litany and the Lord’s Prayer, are missing from the revised Liturgy. These prayers mention the role of the bishop in the Eucharist and the sanctity of the Altar Table. The authors have deleted the aforementioned prayers from the revised text, since Lutherans do not accept these particular Orthodox teachings.

THE PEACE AND THE COMMUNION PRAYER

Pastor: Peace be to all of you.

Congregation: And to your spirit.

Pastor: Let us bow our heads to the Lord.

Congregation: To you, O Lord.

Pastor: We give thanks to you, O king invisible, that in your measureless mercy you preserve all things in the world. Look down from heaven, O Master, on those who have bowed their heads to you. We do not bow our heads to any among men, but before you, our God. O Master, equally distribute to us these gifts here before us for our benefit, according to the individual need of each; through the grace and compassion and love toward mankind of your only-begotten Son, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-Holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen.

Comments:

The priest’s prayer before “the Invitation to Communion” is missing from the revised Liturgy. The missing prayer’s words: “let Your pure Body and precious Blood be given to us by Your mighty hand and through us to all your people” emphasize the special role of the priesthood in the Eucharist, not accepted by the Lutherans.

THE INVITATION

Pastor: Let us be attentive! The holy things for the holy!

Congregation: One is holy. One is the Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Pastor: In the fear of God, and with faith and love, draw near!

Congregation: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! God is the Lord and has revealed himself to us!

Pastor & Congregation: I believe, O Lord, and I confess, that you are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am first. Of your Mystical Supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant; for I will not speak of your mystery to your enemies, neither like Judas will I give you a kiss; but like the thief I will confess you: Remember me, O Lord, in your kingdom. May the communion of your holy mysteries be neither to my judgment nor to my condemnation, but to the healing of soul and body. Amen.

THE DISTRIBUTION ACCOMPANIED BY THE COMMUNION HYMN

Pastor: (to the communicants) Take and eat; this is the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you for the remission of sins.

Pastor: (to the communicants) Drink of it, all of you; this is the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you for the remission of sins.

THE POST-DISTRIBUTION PRAYER

THE POST-DISTRIBUTION VERSICLES AND RESPONSES

Pastor: O God, save your people and bless them!

Congregation: We have seen the true Light! We have received the heavenly Spirit! We have found the true faith! We worship the undivided Trinity, for he has saved us.

Pastor: Blessed be our God always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen.

THE SERMON HYMN AND THE SERMON FOR THE DAY

(The above are omitted here if they occurred already, after the reading of the Holy Gospel.)

THE PASTORAL PRAYER, THE PASTORAL BLESSING, AND THE OFFERING HYMN ACCOMPANIED BY THE OFFERING

THE CONCLUDING PRAYER AND THE BENEDICTION

Pastor: Let us pray to the Lord.

Congregation: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: O Lord, who blesses those who bless you, and sanctifies those who trust in you: Save your people, and bless them. Sanctify those who love the majesty of your house; glorify them in return by your divine power, and forsake us not who put our hope in you. Give peace to your world, to your church, to the entire Ukrainian nation, and to all your people. For every good gift is from above, coming down from you, the Father of Lights; and to you we ascribe glory, thanksgiving, and worship, together with your only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen. Blessed be the name of the Lord, henceforth and forevermore.

Pastor: The blessing of the Lord be upon you through his grace and love for mankind always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Congregation: Amen.

Comments:

The original dismissal of the Liturgy, mentioning the saints and the “holy fathers of the Church”, has been eliminated because it disagrees with the Lutheran doctrines.

FINAL COMMENT

The Lutherans in Ukraine felt the need to maintain their ethnic identity, preserving elements of the Byzantine tradition in their Liturgy. On the other hand, the Byzantine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is clearly not compatible with the Lutheran doctrinal claims. This is why they revised the Byzantine Liturgy satisfying their Lutheran theological concerns. However, what they achieved was to produce a text that deviates from the Orthodox Byzantine theology and betrays, at the same time, the work of St. John Chrysostom. It would be better if they authored a completely different text, following simply the order of St. John’s service, instead of revising and altering the prayers that he wrote.

by Fr.Vassilios Bebis

frvassilios-1About the Author:

Rev.Fr.Dr.Vassilios Bebis is the Presiding Priest at Saint Nektarios Orthodox Church in Rosindale,Boston and a Senior Fellow of the Sophia Institute.

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