The Divine Liturgy

Scripture in the Liturgy

Scripture In The Divine Liturgy

Remembering Our Lord in the Liturgy

"How shall we remember the Lord in the Liturgy and what will we narrate about Him? Maybe those things that prove He was the almighty God? That, in other words, He resurrected the dead, granted light to the blind, commanded the winds to cease, fed thousands of people with a few breads? No, Christ did not ask us to remember these things, but rather those things that revealed the weakness, that is the crucifixion, the passion, the death. Because the passion was more necessary than the miracles. The sufferings of our Christ cause salvation and resurrection, whereas His miracles prove only that He is the true Savior." -- St. Nicholas Cabasilas

Liturgy: "Work of the People"

"Let's look at the word liturgy and try to be precise about that. The word 'liturgia' is sometimes explained as 'the work of the people'. Now, I think that is dubious etymology, but it is good theology. A liturgy in classical Greek, not necessarily in a religious context, means a shared corporate action; something done by many people in common; something we can only do together. So if the Eucharist is termed 'liturgy', then this signifies that at the service there are no passive spectators; there are only active participants. The laity do not hear the liturgy, but they do it together with the clergy." -- Archbp Kallistos Ware, On The Divine Liturgy, a lecture presented to clergy from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta at the Diakonia Center in South Carolina, April, 2011.