During the time of Great Lent, Orthodox Church reserves the celebration of Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great only to Saturdays and Sundays because of their more festal and joyous spirit. Form ancient times period of Great Lent is regarded by the Orthodox Church to be a special season of repentance, fasting and intensified prayer. During that time Church encourages the faithful to partake of Holy Communion more frequently.

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.