The Divine Liturgy of the Presactified Gifts is one the churches most ancient services. While it is possible to serve this Liturgy every weekday during the Great Lent, todays practice in many parishes is to celebrate this beautiful service on Wednesdays and Fridays of the Great Lent.

Divine Liturgy of Presantified Gifts is services that combines vespers with the Holy Communion. The Holy Gifts are sanctified on the previous Sunday are used for this service, hence the term “presanctified”. During the Vespers’ Psalms, the presantified gifts are prepared on the altar and the transfered to the table of oblation.

The Vespers part of the Divine Liturgy of Presantified gifts concludes with the readings from the Old Testament between which the priest blesses the faithful holding a lighted candle with the words “The Light of Christ illumines All!”, a proclamation that all wisdom comes from Christ and is given by the Church to people through scriptures and sacraments.

After the readings the Psalm 141 is sung again solemnly with offering of the incense. Then the priesantified gifts are solemnly brought to the altar in a silent procession. The sung that people sing before the procession and after procession is completed calls the faithful to the communion:

Now the heavenly powers do minister invisible with us. For behold the King of Glory enters. Behold the mystical sacrifice, all fulfilled, is ushered in.

Let us with faith and love draw near that we maybe partakers of everlasting life. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Following this procession a litany is sung and after the Our Father, the priest exlaims “Prescatified Holy Gifts to the Holy” after which the faithful receive Holy Communion.

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Divine Liturgy of The Presanctified Gifts

saint_gregory.jpgSaint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, was born in the year 1296 in Constantinople. St Gregory’s father became a prominent dignitiary at the court of Andronicus II Paleologos (1282-1328), but he soon died, and Andronicus himself took part in the raising and education of the fatherless boy. Endowed with fine abilities and great diligence, Gregory mastered all the subjects which then comprised the full course of medieval higher education. The emperor hoped that the youth would devote himself to government work. But Gregory, barely twenty years old, withdrew to Mount Athos in the year 1316 (other sources say 1318) and became a novice in the Vatopedi monastery under the guidance of the monastic Elder St Nicodemus of Vatopedi (July 11). There he was tonsured and began on the path of asceticism. A year later, the holy Evangelist John the Theologian appeared to him in a vision and promised him his spiritual protection. Gregory’s mother and sisters also became monastics.

St Gregory performed many miracles in the three years before his death, healing those afflicted with illness. On the eve of his repose, St John Chrysostom appeared to him in a vision. With the words “To the heights! To the heights!” St Gregory Palamas fell asleep in the Lord on November 14, 1359. In 1368 he was canonized at a Constantinople Council under Patriarch Philotheus (1354-1355, 1364-1376), who compiled the Life and Services to the saint

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Second Sunday Of Lent: St. Gregory Palamas

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First Sunday of Great Lent: Sunday Of Orthodxy

St. Mary’s Russian Orthodox Church in Jackson, NJ is blessed by the presence of His Eminence Archbishop GREGORY, retired bishop of Alaska, who celebrated Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the faithful today. In his homily Archbishop explained to the faithful the spiritual meaning of the Sunday of Forgiveness- a reminder of the exile of our ancestral parents Adam and Eve from the paradise for their disobedience. “As a human race”- said His Eminence “ we have inherited this state of being expelled from paradise.” He also reminded the faithful that through fasting, prayers and good deeds along with grace of God it is possible enter into Resurrection with Christ. His Eminence pointed out that the time of the Great Lent should be used for our benefit by controlling our passions and desires.

Following the Divine Liturgy Vespers of Forgiveness were celebrated that mark the beginning of Great Fast. At the end of the Vespers in the spirit of Orthodox tradition for the beginning of Great Fast, His Eminence Archbishop Gregory along with Father John Prokopiuk, Protodeacon John Morvay and all the faithful asked and offered each other forgiveness for anything they may have done to wrong each other.

After the Divine Services, Father John Prokopiuk, the Rector of St. Mary’s Russian Orthodox Church, extended an invitation to all present to join together for a time of fellowship at the Parish Home, where Sisterhood prepared wonderful Cheesefare dinner.

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Cheesefare Sunday- Sunday of Forgiveness